The Fifth Quarter Quell: Lance's Story
by TheEngineeringGames
Summary: For the Fifth Quarter Quell, volunteers have been prohibited. In District Two, this completely changes things because for the first time in years they won't have to prepared tributes. And for Lance, someone with no desire to ever train, this news brings fear to him. Will fate work against him and force him into the Games when he never imagined he would be fighting to the death?
1. The Reaping

**Welcome to the 125th Hunger Games!**

 **Just a few things before the story begins. This occurs as if Katniss failed so no District 12. Also, this story is a partner story. While this tells the story of Lance from District Two, there is another story that follows his district partner Glacia. Be sure to check our that story as it will give a different perspective of the same games. And don't worry, the two stories are very different from each other.**

 **I will update the stories on the same day, that way once the games start you can choose which story to read first as there will be some spoilers about what might happen to the other character.**

 **I'll let you begin the story. As always, please review and let me know what you think, good or bad. Any comments are good comments.**

 **Let the Games begin!**

* * *

 **Chapter 1:**

"Lance, stop sitting around up there because we have to get going!" I sigh as I stare up at the ceiling, not wanting to move from my bed. I had been dreading this day for months now. But Reaping Day wouldn't stay away forever.

Hearing the footsteps on the stairs, I roll over and stand up, smoothing out the wrinkles in my pants before Maylene can get here and scold me for it. If I didn't look nice, I would also be giving her a bad reputation. Maylene Henderson, winner of the 120th Hunger Games. And lucky me, I get to be her younger brother. Don't get me wrong, I love my sister more than anyone else, especially since she practically raised me. Mother died shortly after giving birth to me, something I'll always feel guilty about. Father, on the other hand, became an alcoholic when I was five and Maylene was ten. We were constantly facing abuse from him in his drunken rages and while I just put up with it, Maylene took matters into her own hands and began training for the Hunger Games. If she could win, then we would never have to depend on father for food and shelter again.

Maylene managed to win, outsmarting the others and being more brutal than the others. Once she arrived back in Two, she took her new fortune and me, left father, and never looked back. I'll always be grateful to her that she got us out of that situation but I would never want to train like her and compete in the games. That didn't stop Maylene from making me train a little in our backyard. She tried to get me to be in the training center with her but that didn't last very long. So even though she knows there is no chance of me going to the games thanks to the career system, I think she just missed the constant training with someone. Sure, she helped at the training center but she doesn't have someone to spare with that will fight back with everything they have.

The door creaks open and I look over to see my older sister. She leans against the door frame, arms crossed and still looking like she could win the games. Everyone had underestimated her at first thanks to her small stature. I now tower over her but I still would be scared to fight her in the games. She gives me a sad smile, knowing I don't want to go to the square. "I'm sorry to put you through this, Lance. But Brycen wouldn't have want you to be miserable about this. He knew what he was getting into when he volunteered. We all thought he had a good chance to win."

I look away from her as the memories I had been avoiding all day start crashing through my mind. Brycen, my only friend from growing up, volunteered to participate in the games last year. I spent every free hour that I had glued to the television screen, worried that if I missed a few minutes, that would be the time he got injured or worse. And I had felt myself starting to really believe he would be the victor once he made it to the final four. But then my worst fears happened and after a long drawn out fight with the male tribute from Four, Brycen was defeated. I didn't want to believe it. The shock was so intense and it wasn't until the hovercraft appeared to take away his body that I reacted. Anything I could reach was thrown against the wall, lamps, vases; one of the side tables next to the couch I picked up and slammed against the wall. Anything to take out my anger.

When Maylene tried to stop me, I was so furious I didn't even realize it was her and started throwing punches at her. And she put up with it, blocking most but allowing a few to hit her, knowing the pain I was going through. Once she finally grabbed on to my fists and stopped me from throwing punches, the overwhelming sadness kicked in. I spent hours that night, sobbing against her shoulder and she tried her best to comfort me. But how do you move on from watching your best and only friend be murdered, all for the Capitol's entertainment?

Maylene places a hand on my shoulder, bringing me back to the present. When I see the sympathetic look on her face, I wipe the emotions from mine and quickly brush away the one tear trying to escape. "I'm fine," I whisper angrily as I walk out of the room, not wanting her pity. It's bad enough seeing the pity from the people my age who knew Brycen was my friend; I don't need it from my sister.

She follows me out of the room and downstairs, thankfully not bringing Brycen up any more. I'm ready to head out the door to get this over with when she runs in front of me and blocks it. I cross my arms at her, waiting to see why she's holding us up. "Lance, I'm sorry for bringing him up. I don't want you to stay angry at me, especially since we don't know what's going to happen at the Reaping."

Ah yes, the Reaping. Normally I wouldn't be feeling the looming fear that I have today. Any other year, someone would have been handpicked to volunteer and represent District Two. But this isn't just any other year. It's the Fifth Quarter Quell and the Capitol couldn't have a boring and typical set of tributes.

 _For the 125th Hunger Games, to show that the choices of the rebels to harm the citizens of the Capitol were absolute, no one will be allowed to volunteer in the place of another…_

So here we are, facing the small possibility that I might actually have to go into the games and ruin the life Maylene had worked so hard to give us. The chances of my name getting picked are small, but so are the chances of anyone else getting picked. Barely anyone in Two has to take tesserae since the Capitol rewards our loyalty and supports the ten victors our district has.

I don't want to believe that I'll be chosen. I don't want to have to fight my way home and kill people to survive. But I know it's a very slim chance and I want to be prepared for that chance. I make eye contact with Maylene and nod, letting her come over and wrap her arms around me. I hug her back, finally letting that fear sink in. "I don't want to be angry with you. I'm just scared that I might get picked."

"I'm scared of that happening too," she says quietly and tightens her grip around me. "I worked so hard to win so you could be safe and in a second, that could get completely messed up." My sister steps back and tries to smile at me. "But whatever happens today, we'll get through it. The Henderson's are fighters and if you get picked, I know you will do everything you can to make it home."

I don't doubt this as I nod at her before she turns around and we continue walking out the door. If I do get picked, I have to win and come home to my sister. She takes my hand as we silently walk through the Victor's Village. Maylene nods her head in greeting at Kat, the victor who helped her win her games. I should feel a little self-conscious about being seventeen and holding on to my older sister's hand but you know what, it's Reaping Day and I'm terrified of what might happen. Is this how the outer districts feel every year?

Maylene releases my hand as we approach the village square, probably not wanting the rest of the district to see our feel. She still is a victor and needs to pretend that she's happy and supportive of the Reaping. As we approach the stage, she steps aside and pulls me in to a tight hug. I hold on to her just as tightly, the fear of today fully setting in. "Lance, not matter what happens today, know that I love you."

"I love you too," I whisper back, begrudgingly letting go of her. She grabs my hand and squeezes it while trying to give me an encouraging smile but right now, she just looks sad. As she turns and starts walking up the stairs to take her place among the victors, I can't help but get a sinking feeling about today and that this might be one of the last times I see her.

I try to ignore this feeling as I head towards the Peacekeepers signing people in. Of course I won't get picked today. My name is in there six times out of thousands of names. As I wait in line, I can see the fear on the faces of some of the younger kids, either the ones who don't want anything to do with training or the ones who aren't prepared yet to take on people years older than them. At least I'm not the only one afraid of this Reaping. I reach the front of the line and the man forcefully grabs my hand before pricking my finger. I cringe slightly at the discomfort as he presses it to the sign in book before being allowed to join the crowd. Close to the front are the other seventeen year olds and I join them, ignoring all of them. Not that any of them really want to talk to me, not after last year's games.

As the people around me discuss how the two people who were picked to volunteer before the announcement must be feeling, my gaze goes towards the stage. Maylene has found me in the crowd and when she sees me looking at her, she smiles encouragingly. I try to feel her confidence but it's hard to when I'm facing the Reaping and she's sitting on stage as a victor. I look at the other victors around her, all familiar faces since I've been living among them for the past five years. Sitting next to my sister, Lysander starts talking to her, face still calm and collected like it was when he won the games ten years ago. He always stops by at our home or will invite us over. I think he still feels a little protective of Maylene since she was the first tribute he trained and successfully mentored. The others I didn't really care for except Roxanne since she didn't win her games by being a career. Yet she keeps more towards herself so I don't know very much about her.

The mayor walks to the microphone and I can feel my heart start beating fast as the crowd quiets down. It finally sets in that the Reaping is really happening and for the first time in years, everyone has a chance of going to the games. The mayor begins his speech and I try to block him out as he talks about the creation of Panem and the two rebellions. Hearing him talk about the games is just stressing me out even more. I stare at the large glass bowl holding the slips with the boys names in it, praying that mine are all buried at the bottom.

All too soon the mayor finishes and the eccentric Capitol escort Flannery steps up. This year she has chosen to wear a metallic silver suit, a tame outfit by Capitol standards, but her skin is dyed what appears to be gold. Her head is topped with a voluminous red wig and I start questioning how she manages to keep it in place when she moves around. "Well I just love that speech. And I have to say, it is great to be back here in District Two," she smiles out at us and I start scowling, still not approving of the career system that makes the Capitol escorts fight to be here. Yet Flannery has held this spot for years. "Now as a reminder, for this very special Quarter Quell, there will be no volunteers." The crowd murmurs in dissatisfaction at this and I agree with them, but not for the same reason. They're probably disappointed at not having as good of a chance as winning this year while I'm angry that no one who is willing to fight to the death will be able to take my place if chosen. "Now, ladies first!"

I watch as Flannery dramatically moves towards the bowl on my right, curious to see who will be the female tribute. The nerves are still there as I wait in anticipation but for now, I have no concern about what girl gets picked since I don't know any of them. Flannery takes her time, swirling her hand around in the bowl and trying to build up tension since it finally matters who she picks. She finally selects one and makes her way back towards the microphone. The crowd is silent as our escort holds the paper out in front of her. "The female tribute from District Two is," she unfolds the paper and it almost looks like her face lights up in excitement at the name. I only have to wonder for a couple seconds who it is before she continues. "Glacia Skylar!"

"Yes!" I hear the girl cheer and look over to the girl section. The eighteen year olds are moving out of the way and I catch sight of the girl I've seen many times in the Victor's Village. She looks confident and ready to kill already, starting to walk towards the stage with her head held high. Her pale blonde hair looks almost silver in the sunlight, matching her name perfectly. When she reaches the stairs to the stage, she starts smirking a little and I recall hearing her name brought up by Maylene when the Quarter Quell was announced. I think Glacia was supposed to be our female volunteer this year so no wonder why she looks so excited right now. But everyone knows the name Skylar in District Two and I look at the victors on stage, finding the oldest one who is surely her grandmother. Sylvia Skylar has a very sad look on her face but after a nod from Glacia, she composes herself and tries to look proud of her granddaughter. There are some whispers around me about Sylvia and how she's insane but I know these aren't true from living near her. Dementia, the doctors said was the cause. Understandable at her age and what she went through in the games.

Flannery is trying to compose herself but you can see the excitement as she puts an arm around Glacia's shoulders and guides her to the center of the stage. Of course she's excited, she picked the granddaughter of the oldest living victor in District Two. "Now isn't this just exciting, our female tribute is related to none other than our own Sylvia Skylar!"

Glacia stands proudly at the front of the stage, knowing she deserves to be up there. She stares out at the crowd, a sharp look on her face as if she's daring anyone to question her being the female tribute. Her gaze turns towards the boys and I know from the menacing look on her face that I wouldn't want to be the one to cross her in the arena.

"Now time to pick the boys!" Flannery says cheerfully and makes her way towards the bowl on the left filled with the male names. My heart starts running a marathon and I silently beg for anyone other than me to get picked. Flannery takes her time, once again being dramatic with picking the name. I want to just shout at her to pick one already. Finally, she grabs a slip of paper and holds it in front of her as she slowly makes her way back to the microphone. It seems like it's been minutes as she unfolds the paper. Her face once again lights up and I start panicking, desperately hoping it's not because she sees the name of the younger brother of one of District Two's most recent victors. "And the male tribute for District Two is…" she pauses to build up suspense and I clench my fists, a sinking feeling in my chest as my brain nags that she was too excited about the name. _Please not me._ "Lance Henderson!"

 _Rigged_. It has to be rigged. Of course, what would make for an exciting Quarter Quell than relatives of two victors picked from a district that always has volunteers? No, this can't be happening to me. I know the shock must be on my face as the boys around me start shifting away. Why me? I never wanted this. I look past Flannery and at Maylene. She looks so disappointed and upset at my name being called. I try to keep myself from getting upset at being taken away from her and fight against my eyes starting to water. Someone behind me gives me a shove towards the stage and I start hesitantly walking towards the stage. No, I can't let them view me as weak for hesitating. I pick up my pace, trying to redeem my earlier hesitation and look up at Glacia as I approach the stage. She's smirking at me and I know she's already viewed me as a target. Damn it, my reaction is going to look terrible next to hers. She glares at me with those piercing ice blue eyes of her, judging me and my ability to compete in the games. She will already have an advantage over me with the sponsors; she wants to be here and I'll admit, if she wasn't always scowling at people, she would be gorgeous. And damn, how does she fit her name so well? But I can't focus on that, I have to worry about making the Capitol like me.

Because I will be the one to come home as victor.

Before reaching the stairs, I glance around at the crowd, almost wishing someone would step forward and volunteer. But that won't happen this year. When I reach the stairs, Flannery is waving at me to hurry up the stairs. I start scowling at her eagerness for these games. Of course she is loving this, she picked relatives of two living victors. The other Reapings won't be nearly as exciting. Once I reach the top of the stairs, Flannery puts a hand on my back and pushes me towards Glacia since I must still be moving too slowly for her. Sorry I'm not exactly in a rush to fight to the death. I meet Glacia's gaze and try to figure out what she is thinking about me, the tribute from District Two who hesitated. Once I'm next to her, I look out at the faces in the crowd. Most of them are shocked at who was picked. A few almost look satisfied at the choice. Damn you people for looking forwards to me fighting children in a death match. "Well isn't this an interesting Reaping," Flannery says with her hands on our shoulders. "We now have the brother of our victor Maylene Henderson!"

I glance back at my sister, never wanting this fate. Maylene looks distraught and I know she's probably mad at herself for not forcing me to train more. But how were we supposed to know there would be a year when no one would be able to volunteer? I turn back around as Flannery starts smiling. "We have our tributes! Glacia Skylar and Lance Henderson!" She is met by a loud round of applause from the district and I look out at them, feeling like they're aren't clapping for me. Flannery motions for us to shake hands and I turn towards the tribute the crowd is really cheering for. Glacia takes my hand tightly, knowing she is the one who trained to be up here. She gives me a glare as we shake hands, almost daring me to become angry and fight her. And I don't doubt that I will have to eventually. There is no way the Gamemakers won't force us together because the Capitol will love watching the relatives of two victors fight each other. But that doesn't mean I can't use her to get rid of some tributes first.

We're soon led into the Justice Building and I look over at Maylene as we leave the stage. Roxanne has started talking to her and I just hope she can help comfort my sister during the games. One of the older victors, Bronn, is comforting Sylvia and I start to feel a little bad that I will force her to watch her granddaughter die if I'm to be the one who returns. And I plan on winning.

We're taken to separate rooms by the Peacekeepers and close the door behind them. I sit down on the couch, a sense of dread filling me as it starts setting in that my worst fear has happened. I don't know if I have what it takes to kill children. Who knows how old some of them will be? There might be twelve year olds who don't have a chance against older, trained tributes.

The door opens and before I can look up, I'm tackled by my sister. She has a death grip on me and I can feel her start to shake with tears as I hold on to her, very aware that there is a possibility I might not come home alive. As I hold on to my older sister as she cries, it's almost as if we went back ten years in time, before she started training and standing up for herself. It's hard to believe the woman hugging me earned a twelve in training, killed many kids, and won the games. I can feel myself start to cry a little as I remember sitting in a room just like this five years ago, saying goodbye to my sister. Except then, it was here leaving for the Capitol and I was confident she would win and save us from our abusive father. Now, I have no idea if I'll make it home.

"Lance, you have to win," Maylene speaks up after a couple minutes, knowing we don't have very much time. "The Capitol will give you attention. Don't push them away because sponsors can be the difference between life and death." She sits up and wipes her tears away, looking determined and like the girl I watched become a victor. She grips my arm tightly with a sense of urgency. "You have what it takes to win. And don't trust her, Lance."

I know immediately who the 'her' is. Glacia. "I wasn't planning on it."

"You don't understand," Maylene shakes her head at me. "I've trained with her a bit. She won't let anything get in her way of winning and proving herself. And the Gamemakers will put you in her way."

I know she's right. I was already thinking the same thing. "Well I can still use her for popularity. It wouldn't hurt to have as an ally for a while."

Her face tells me that it would but she doesn't voice that, probably not wanting to argue with me. "If you do, just be careful. Allies can end up being the most dangerous people in the arena." I nod my head at this and we stay quiet for a minute before she reaches up and pulls the silver chain off from her neck. Hanging from it is the gold ring with an emerald in the center that Maylene says our mother used to wear all the time. She puts it in my hand before closing it and hold on to my closed fist. "Take it. Wear it as your token in the arena. Become a victor with it on."

"I will," I say and hug her again as the door opens. The Peacekeepers step in, signaling that it's time for her to leave. "I love you, sis."

"I love you too, little bro," Maylene says, responding with the nickname we used when we were younger. She stands up and nods at the Peacekeepers, letting them know she understands that she has to leave. She turns back around and smiles down at me. "Lance, I know I'll be seeing you again. You're a Henderson and we are good fighters."

I smile at her as she walks towards the door and pauses to look back at me. "I'll see you for dinner in my new house in a few weeks." She laughs as a Peacekeeper lightly puts a hand on her back and leads her out the door. It's nice to see them treat victors with respect and not force her out of the room.

Once the door is closed, I sigh as my somewhat good mood fades away with Maylene gone. She would be my reason for making it out of the arena alive. I open my fist and slip the necklace around my neck, tucking the ring inside my shirt. I've never seen Maylene take it off before, she even wore it as her own token in the arena. And even though I never met mother, it will be nice to have her ring with me. Who knows, maybe guardian angels are real and she'll be watching over me in the arena.

The door opens again, surprising me since I didn't think I would have any other visitors. And the person who walks in is even more surprising.

Lysander stops in front of me, saying nothing as he stares at me. He's as silent as always, staring at me with his calculating eyes. I start wondering we he's here yet he doesn't say anything for a minute or even sit down. Finally, he speaks up. "Good luck in there, kid. You have tough completion but if you're anything like your sister, you'll figure out a way to win."

I don't know where this is coming from since I haven't really talked to Lysander in years. I don't say anything, not sure how to respond to him. After a couple minutes, he nods his head at me once and starts walking towards the door. He pauses with his hand on the doorknob and looks over his shoulder at me. "I'll keep an eye on your sister during the games, just like I've done for five years."

"Thank you," I respond but he's already out the door, never one for unnecessary words. His visit was a little odd but then again, he's always been a bit of an odd person. I think he was affected by the games but will never bring it up to anyone for fear of being judged like Sylvia is. A victor from District Two is supposed to be strong, especially a volunteer. But his words about Maylene are a nice comfort. I don't want her to be alone watching the games, no matter who wins.

I sit back, knowing I really won't have any other visitors. Saying goodbye to Maylene has filled me with a new anger towards the games. I might have started with a bad first impression by hesitating but I won't let that moment define me. I have to win the games because Maylene has done everything to build a great life for us. I can't ruin that now. And I will do what it takes to win the game, regardless of how determined Glacia also is to win.

Soon, the Peacekeepers enter and instruct me that it is time to go. I follow their directions without any fuss, knowing my fight isn't with them. They lead me out to the back of the Justice Building where the train to the Capitol is waiting for us. As soon as I take a step out the door, there are tons of cameras waiting for me. I steel my face, wanting to show the sponsors that my hesitation at the Reaping is not how I am going to be once the games start.

Glacia is already outside, standing tall and proud as she waits for us to be able to go on the train. She turns to look at me, her face tough and I return the look to her. I won't be intimidated by her any longer. Before she turns away, I see a hint of a smirk on her face and wonder what's that about. Maybe she also knows that we'll be forced to fight before the games end. Or maybe she plans to have me in her alliance and is happy I've found the will to fight. Either way, it won't matter. The train door starts to open and from the Justice Building behind us, Flannery walks out. She starts leading us inside, Glacia waving at the cameras while I continue to glare. Oh, they'll get me to play their games and fight, but they won't get me to enjoy it.

Not like Glacia. But I might enjoy fighting her because defeating her means that I can be District Two's victor.


	2. Train Rides

**Welcome to the 125th Hunger Games!**

 **Just a few things before the story begins. A reminder that this is one story out of two that are taking place during the same time. So if you are reading this story first and plan on reading the other, you may want to read the same chapter from the other in order to avoid spoilers to the character.**

 **I will update the stories on the same day, that way once the games start you can choose which story to read first as there will be some spoilers about what might happen to the other character.**

 **I'll let you begin the story. As always, please review and let me know what you think, good or bad. Any comments are good comments.**

 **Let the Games begin!**

* * *

 **Chapter 2:**

I follow Flannery through the train hallway lined with some sort of dark wood. She gestures around, pointing out some of the details about the train. "The wood is taken straight from District Seven here and the silk on the furniture is the finest fabric from District Eight!" She pauses in front of two doors on opposite sides of the hallway and points to both of them. "Here are your rooms. Of course, we'll be in the Capitol tonight but you can use them to rest for a bit while we get going." I lean against my door and cross my arms as Glacia nods her head at Flannery. Is she going to just willingly go along with everything about the games? "Now I will come get you in about one hour for lunch and you can meet your mentors!" Flannery starts walking away, smiling as her heels click against the wood floor.

Glacia crosses her arms and raises and eyebrow at me. Oh this will be good. "Listen up," she says harshly and I narrow my eyes at her. If she thinks she can boss me around then she is dumb. "I don't care if you wanted to be here or not. I did and I was supposed to be the volunteer this year," I can't help but roll my eyes at this. Is she going to keep talking about this the entire time we're in the Capitol? Because I really don't care about who was picked from the training center right now. "If you even want to get any sponsors, you're going to have to join the career pack and guess what, I have every intention to be the one who runs it."

I raise my eyebrows at her, wondering if she really thought she could intimidate me into listening to her. "Oh yeah? And what if I don't want to join your little group of wannabe careers?" I can see her face turning red with anger at my taunt and I start smirking. This is almost fun.

She thinks for a couple seconds of how to respond, anger still all over her face. "Then you can die in the bloodbath," she spits out and I know my face must show shock at her statement because she starts smirking a little.

I clear my face of emotions before narrowing my eyes at her. The way she glares back at me with those piercing blue eyes makes me not doubt that she would kill me in the bloodbath if I don't join her. And I can't let that happen. We glare at each other for a minute, both with our arms crossed. Finally, I let go of my stubbornness, knowing I need to work with her to survive for a while in the games. I give her a slight nod and I can see a brief amount of relief on her face. Maybe she's not as tough and confident as she likes to pretend she is and was worried she wouldn't be able to get me to join her. If that's the case, then I can use this weakness to my advantage. "Fine, I'll join your pack. But I'm not going to follow you around like a lost puppy. I have every intention of being the victor for District Two."

Glacia starts smirking at this and part of me wants to slap that smirk off her face. "I wouldn't expect anything else from you," she replies as she opens her door and starts walking in, pausing to turn around and look at me. "And good luck with trying to be victor because it will be me." I know there's shock on my face again at how brash she is because she's smirking as she shuts her door.

I shake my head as I enter my own room. I can't let her mind games get to me. She wants me to be afraid of her so I'll follow her willingly. But I can't do that if I'm going to be the victor. Was Maylene right? Am I strong enough to fight in the games? Sure, I'm tall and will probably be bigger in size than most of the tributes. But I haven't been training for years like Glacia and if everyone is right about us having to fight, that could be my downfall.

No, I can't let it be my downfall. I won't ruin the life Maylene worked so hard to give me. As for Glacia, well it's not surprise that she's going to fight so hard to win since she's been training for years. And she has family she needs to get home to as well. Everyone in the games will have someone they're fighting for.

As the train begins to move, I head to the bathroom, needing something to do to pass the time while waiting to eat lunch with the mentors. Who even is going to be the mentors? I know it's not Maylene or Lysander. They would have said something and I don't think Maylene would have been able to separate her emotions to focus on training me. And it won't be Sylvia or Bronn. Those two haven't mentored in over twenty years. But that leaves six possible victors, none of which I know very well.

No point worrying about it now. Maybe if I just stand in the shower, I can pretend this isn't really happening and be at home with Maylene. I remove my old clothe – I was never really a fan of dressing up fancy like that – and throw them in a pile on the floor. My necklace I set gently on the counter before stepping in the shower. I let the warm water hit my back for a while, hoping this is all in my head. I don't know if I can kill children. Hopefully there aren't any twelve-year-olds this year because I definitely couldn't hurt them. How can you when they've barely had the chance to live? But they won't ever, not if I am determined to make it home. And I need to make it home because dying is not okay.

And I'm a little afraid of dying this young.

I might be taking a big risk in following Glacia but with her threat of killing me in the bloodbath if I refused, I don't really have a choice. There's a good chance that I won't be able to beat her with how much training she's had, unless she's already weakened or injured. So I just have to survive that long. I can do that.

I turn the water off, stepping out with a new determination. Starting to form a plan is making this seem less daunting and something I can get done. Hopefully whoever is my mentor can fill in the smaller pieces because right now I just have to survive the bloodbath, live long enough for Glacia to get injured, and then hope I can overcome her.

As I slip on a pair of soft gray pants and a black v-neck shirt, I can hear Flannery talking outside the door. Good, it must be time for lunch. My stomach was starting to rumble now that I've calmed down a little about facing the games.

Sure enough, there's a knock on my door in a minute. I open it, revealing Flannery. She's all smiles and I try not to scowl about it. Doesn't she realize at least one of us will be dead in a couple weeks? Yes, but she's probably hoping it will be only one. "Hello Lance, I see you've started to take advantage of the Capitol's luxuries." Alright, this I scowl about. She's making it seem like I'm on a fancy vacation, not off to face other children in a fight to the death. I have to give her a lot of credit though because she completely ignores my attitude and continues on being cheerful. "Lunch is ready in the next car over."

"Alright," I say a little hesitantly as she gestures towards the end of the hallway. I start walking, hearing her heels click behind me. How is she not annoyed by that sound every time she walks?

As we approach the door, I can hear a man lightheartedly say, "Roxanne, relax a little, would you?" Hmm, so Roxanne is at least one of the mentors. But will she pick Glacia or me? I guess it depends on who the man is.

There's the small clinking of silverware on plates as Flannery opens the door, revealing an elegant dining room. If this is just how the Capitol decorates a train, how is the actual city going to look? Flannery gives me a small nudge to walk in and I look at the occupants of the table. Glacia is already sitting next to Darach on one side of the table. Across from them is Roxanne who smiles warmly at me before patting the chair next to her. "Hello Lance, nice to see you again."

I nod my head in response to this but really, I've never talked to her enough to form a good enough opinion of her. Sure, she's been nice to me before in passing but I couldn't even tell you one personal detail about her. But I walk over and sit next to her, knowing I'll be getting to know her eventually. I take a look at all of the food sitting in front of us and start placing piles of everything on my plate. I might as well eat a lot now because who knows what the food situation will be like in the arena. It's awfully quiet as I place food on my plate and once I'm done, I look around at everyone. Glacia is eating her food, smirking a little at who knows what. All I know is that I want to slap her every time she starts smirking. Darach is eating is food, staring me down and I start to feel uncomfortable by his gaze. The silence is getting so uncomfortable and I have to say something. "So how do we start this mentoring thing?"

Darach starts laughing at this and I glare at him a little, wondering if our lives mean so little to him. He sets down his fork before putting his elbows on the table and grasping his hands together. He stares me down and I can feel him judging me and my capabilities. I sit up straighter and keep his eye contact, not letting him intimidated me. "Well, I will be mentoring Glacia and Roxanne will mentor you," he finally says and I feel a little happy about this. I can already tell that Darach and I won't really get along well so it's probably best that he doesn't mentor me. "As for discussing strategy, that is something to figure out with Glacia. Now, we can work with you together or separate-"

"Separate," Glacia cuts him off and I raise my eyebrows at this. I'm a little offended at this but I should have known she wouldn't want to work with me all the time. Her and Darach probably have plans already since he's been training her for years.

I take a bite of food and know they're all waiting for me to respond. Like I really have a choice in the matter. Even if I want to train together, it won't happen because Glacia wants to be separate. So I might as well go along with it and create less tension among us. "Separate works."

"Well we have no problem mentoring you two separately," Roxanne speaks up next to me and I look over at her, noticing she doesn't seem to thrilled at this situation. Maybe she was hoping for tributes who would get along well and they could mentor us together and pool together sponsors. "But if you plan to work in an alliance together, we will need to discuss some strategy together."

Glacia raises an eyebrow at me, waiting to see if I will follow through with what I told her. And I will, for a short amount of time. But she doesn't need to know that yet. "Yes, we will be in the career pack together."

Glacia looks satisfied at my response, but if she only knew I was already plotting when I can betray her. "Well, we will work with the tributes normally from the career districts," she adds, probably trying to make sure it looks like the alliance was her plan. "If we're lucky, they'll be older and have some training."

"That would be ideal," Darach says and I can't help but agree with him a little. Having allies with some training could be useful but also dangerous because that means more people I have to watch out for. "But don't count on it. I'm not saying to completely dismiss them based on their age, but you can take a day to figure out if they will be an asset or hinder you."

Glacia nods at this as we continue eating our food in silence. It's almost a nice thought knowing that we might get to be the ones who choose who is allowed to join us but I know it won't really be my decision. Glacia will be the one who makes the final decision since she has taken leadership. Maybe I'll be lucky and there will be another strong tribute that will oppose her and they'll kill each other before I have to worry about her.

I start frowning as I realize I've already become so casual at the thought of people killing each other. But isn't that a good thing? I'll have to think this way eventually if I want to win the games so maybe it's for the best that I start thinking this way now. I start stabbing my food, slowly losing my appetite at the thought of how the games are already making me one of their pawns.

Someone sets their fork down after a few minutes of silence and I look up to see Darach standing up. "Alright Glacia, let's go discuss some strategy." She's smiling as she follows him out of the train car.

"Good, I can't stand being in the same room as those two," Roxanne mumbles next to me and I have to turn my laugh into a cough as Darach and Glacia are leaving the room.

"Be nice, Roxanne," Flannery says without even looking up from the magazine she has started reading.

Roxanne just laughs at this as I sit there confused about what is happening around me. She notices this and leans back, finally looking relaxed. "I've never been a fan of the career system even though I did train like most of District Two's victors."

"You had a different alliance, right?" I ask her as I try to recall what memories I can of her games. But for some reason, hers were never shown as often as the others.

"Yes, I did," she says, still smiling but I can see in her eyes a bit of pain. "But that's a story for a different time. For now, let's focus on helping you win the games."

She stands up and waves for me to follow her over to a pair of arm chairs on the other side of the train car. Once we're sitting down, she smiles at me as she rests her chin on her hand. "Now Lance, tell me about yourself."

"Why?" I ask her confused. "Shouldn't we focus on how my strategy in the arena?"

"We'll get to that eventually, but if I'm going to mentor you well, I need to know things about you," Roxanne answers, not surprised by my reaction. "Now again, tell me about yourself."

I sit back and stare at her, trying to think about what to tell her about myself. "Well my sister won five years ago."

"I don't care about your sister," she answers immediately and I start frowning at her quick response, almost offended about how she phrased it. "Your sister isn't a tribute right now, you are."

"Well I don't know what you want from me!" I say exasperated and throw my arms up. "I don't have anything exciting that will win over sponsors. You might as well go support Glacia because at least she's been training for years and wants to be here," I slump back against my chair, feeling a little better after speaking some of the fears I have about going to the games but also feeling weak about it.

Roxanne places her hand gently on my arm and smiles tenderly at me. "Don't be ashamed of your fears. Fear can help you out in the arena but only if you don't let it control you." She leans back and chuckles a little before continuing. "And I'm not going to support Glacia, no matter how much I like her grandmother. I don't like the way she acts all tough and wants to be a career." I must still look a little apprehensive so she tries a new direction. "Alright, why don't you tell me about your childhood?"

I start frowning at the memories but I open up to her. "Well my mother died shortly after I was born. My father was an alcoholic and abusive to me and my sister. It was because of our father that Maylene started training, wanting to become victor so she could take me away from that house and have a better life."

"We can use that a little," Roxanne says quietly, deep in thought. "The Capitol did love that story when Maylene was a tribute so it might get some sponsors to reflect on that again. But twist it so that you have to win because your sister worked so hard for this life and you don't want to ruin it." She turns her attention back towards me as I sit there, letting her figure things out. "What else? Any friends or a girlfriend to go back to?"

I look away from her, not wanting her to see the pain on my face. Yet she sees it anyways and gets up, moving in front of me and grabbing both of my hands. "Lance, I have to know these things. Anything that will get the Capitol to feel some emotion towards you will only help."

Our eyes meet at I can see she has genuine concern for me. I take a deep breath and finally speak up. "I had a friend. Just one."

"And what happened to him?" Roxanne gently asks, knowing that he must have died.

I try to think of how to phrase it and almost chuckle at how to appeal to Roxanne. "Well he died last year, fighting for the career system you seem to despise so much."

Her face lights up with recognition before turning to sadness. "Brycen. I'm very sorry, Lance." Roxanne moves back to her chair, still staring at me as the memories of my childhood friend go through my mind. He had been one of two sources of happiness during the dark times when my father was abusive. A few minutes pass before Roxanne speaks up again. "I'll think of a way to use that for the interviews so that you get sympathy, but not pity."

I try to smile a little at her but it's tough to with the memories being dragged up. I understand why she has to do it, but it doesn't make it enjoyable. "So what else do you want to know?"

Roxanne thinks for a few seconds. "Have you had any sort of training?"

"Just a little with Maylene," I answer her and I can tell she looks a little happy about this. "Not to the level of Glacia but I can handle my own in most fights."

"Good," she murmurs as she drums her fingers against the armrest. "Now please tell me that you don't trust Glacia."

"Of course I don't," I respond immediately with a scoff. "Trusting her would be the same as a death wish."

Roxanne gets up to grab her glass from the table and I can see her smiling. "Excellent. I was hoping I wouldn't have to waste time telling you not to trust her. Now we can use that time to figure out how to beat her."

I laugh lightly as she sits back down near me. "You really don't like the career system." She raises her glass in answer to this, smiling as she then takes a sip. "I'm glad that you're my mentor."

"Why?" She asks curiously as she swirls her glass.

The windows around us suddenly darken and I know we must be approaching the Capitol. It sets in once again that this is very real now that we're almost at the Capitol. I turn back towards Roxanne as the windows lighten around us, revealing the lake and the Capitol shining in the distance. "Because you don't glorify the games and recognize that it's children killing each other."

* * *

I sit down on the couch unhappily, knowing I would have to watch the replay of the Reapings eventually. But seeing the other twenty kids that I will have to fight is just going to make this very real. Roxanne sits next to me and grabs my hand protectively, understanding how I feel. Talking to her on the train made me feel a lot better about my mentor, starting to realize that she has a similar mentality about the games as I do. And I know she'll try her best with the sponsors to help me out.

Glacia and Darach looked thrilled to be seeing the competition and I scowl at their bloodthirst. Flannery turns the screen on and claps her hand in excitement as the two hosts appear –Claudia, daughter of Caesar Flickerman, and Elliot, son of Claudius Templesmith. "Oh I love her hair," Flannery says quietly about the silver, almost white, color of Claudia's hair.

"Good afternoon, everyone," Claudia says cheerfully. "For those now tuning in, the Reaping in District Eleven just finished up and we are now able to give a review of all eleven Reapings. So Elliot, would you like to start with District One?"

I tune him out as he starts talking, not really caring what they think about the tributes. The girl is pretty and looks like she has been training. Her age could make her a possible threat since she's seventeen. As for the boy, well I doubt the twelve-year-old will pose a major threat. I do take a little bit of satisfaction when Glacia gets upset with his age. This will put her plans askew since she doesn't have the trained pack that she is hoping for.

But when Claudia starts discussing District Two, I do pay attention. Of course they love that Glacia is related to Sylvia Skylar and looks like she is ready to fight. Darach pats her on the back for the good impression she's already made and I know I'm not the same way. It's clear that I hesitated when they called my name. That was stupid and I just hope it would cause problems for me later on. "Now for the male tribute, we have seventeen-year-old Lance, younger brother of Maylene Henderson."

"Oh I loved Maylene's games," Elliot comments and I frown at just being associated with my sister right now. The screen cuts to my sister on the stage and my heart hurts at the thought of not seeing her again. "The way she outsmarted and fought better than everyone gave me chills."

"I have chills right now just thinking about it," Claudia says dramatically and I wonder if it's an exaggeration or not. I had a similar feeling five years ago when I watched my sister, fearful and proud at the same time. "Will Lance give us chills like Maylene did? We'll have to wait to find out."

Hmm, I didn't make the best appearance at the Reaping but my last name might just keep them curious about me. And maybe I can use that curiosity and mystery to bring me sponsors.

Elliot discusses District Three and while Glacia seems unconcerned about them, but I can't help but pay attention to them. How can you not notice the two frail children who look absolutely terrified and afraid to die? Of course they're afraid, the girl only fourteen and the boy thirteen.

Glacia pays attention again for District Four, knowing those will be her next allies. But once again, she's disappointed by them. A thirteen-year-old girl and a fifteen-year-old boy who seems determined to protect her? Not useful for Glacia. But for me, I can probably turn them against Glacia. I bet she'll do something in the games that will cause them to turn against her.

Once the announcers move on to the next district, Glacia sits back and seems unfazed by the remaining tributes. But I keep watching them, their faces burned into my memory. These are the people that will have to die if I'm to return home, some by my own hands. District Five might be competition, both being older. But who knows, they also look weak from living in a district where training doesn't happen. Same thing for the girl from District Six. But the boy from her district, another twelve-year-old. He's shaking as his name is called and has to be escorted to the stage by the Peacekeepers. He doesn't stand a chance in the games and I just hope for his sake that when he dies, it's quick and painless.

As Elliot begins talking about District Seven, I'm awestruck by the girl chosen and I start paying attention to him, wanting to know any details I can get. "Now here we have Caitlin, sixteen." The cameras stay trained on her as she walks to the stage. She is tall and elegant, pale skin and her auburn hair falls in beautiful waves down her back. "She is quite beautiful, an unusual find here in the outer districts and I'm sure the young men in the Capitol will be begging for the Gamemakers to favor her." Elliot is right about that and I guess I'm included as a young man in the Capitol. I don't believe in love at first sight, but that girl has me entranced by her beauty and I want to get to know her. Damn it, why do I have to find someone who makes me curious and have these feelings when I'm about to fight to the death and only one can live? There's no way I could make this work, but I can at least try to get to know her before the games end.

I'm so wrapped up thinking about Caitlin that I almost miss her district partner, fourteen and barely looking old enough to be in the Reaping. The rest of the Reapings fly by, my mind staying on Caitlin. Most of them are between fourteen and seventeen, seeming to blend in with the others. Scared, thin, weak, and they probably won't have a chance. The only notable ones are the thirteen-year-old boy from Nine and the strong looking boy that's eighteen from Ten. I hate to think this about kids, but most of them are young and really don't have a chance. At least, I hope I can fight them. But one thing I do know, when I have to kill – no doubt I will once the games start – I will make sure to give them all a quick death.

"That concludes our wrap up of the Reapings," Claudia says before turning to Elliot. "What would you say about this year's group?"

Elliot pretends to be deep in through but I know he already has the script. "It's always hard to tell from just the Reaping, but I think this group will give us a very interesting Quarter Quell."

Flannery moves to turn the screen off and Darach quickly stands up in front of us. "So what do you think?"

"I think Lorelei will be good," Glacia says immediately, desperate to impress Darach. I fight not to roll my eyes as she continues. "Ardos can be good but his protectiveness of Anabel might be dangerous, and Ryoko is hard to judge."

Darach nods his head, looking happy at his tribute. "It's always hard to tell from just a Reaping how the tributes will be once they are in the arena. But I think Glacia's observations are all accurate." He pauses and looks over at me, staring at me intensely. I start to feel uncomfortable under his gaze. "What do you think about the tributes?"

What do I think? I think this is all crazy and I can't believe I have to fight children. I look around at the others, not wanting to answer the question. Glacia seems to look happy about me feeling uncomfortable. "Well, everything Glacia said is probably true-"

"I don't care what Glacia said, I want your observations of the tributes," Darach interrupts me and I start glaring at him, clenching my fists in anger. I swear I'm going to end up punching Darach before the games happen because he just gets on my nerves so much.

I look over at Roxanne who just shrugs a little, clearly not wanting to get involved with this. Sighing, I cross my arms, trying not to act out against him. Instead, I question what he wants me to say about the others. But I'm sure it's not the observations I made. "Eight of them are under the age of fifteen." Barely old enough to have experienced much of life. "Most of them are weak and frail looking."

Darach considers what I've said for a few seconds. I know it's not what he wanted to say but it's what I noticed about them. "I guess those aren't bad assumptions. So how do we sum up all of the tributes?" He waits a couple seconds to see if we answer but we keep quiet. "Two of the biggest threats are sitting right here."

I glance over at Glacia as this sets in. She seems proud of this and also like she's ready to fight. She knows I could be the difference between her winning and dying and I'm sure she's thinking about every possible scenario. And in her mind, I'm sure I die at the end of every one.

But in my mind, she's the one who will die so I can go home.

* * *

 **So I have created a website for these two stories to give a lot more details than I can describe. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words and this website has many pictures. Some features include tribute info with backstories, info on the victors from District Two, Capitol citizens, outfits for the chariot rides and interviews, and eventually information on what the arena will look like. Please check it out to learn more about the story and all of the characters involved!**

 **Website address:** **thefifthquarterquell . weebly .com**


	3. The Opening Ceremony

**Chapter 3:**

I hate this. I hate everything about being taken to the Capitol and being paraded around the city for everyone to watch like I'm some sort of exotic animal. And I don't understand why they are making us go through such an extreme beauty procedure when in a few days, we'll be covered in dirt and blood. But of course, the Capitol loves beauty, and having even a little bit of unnecessary body hair would be scandalous.

Did they have to make it so painful though?

Every rip of hair coming off of my legs has me gripping my chair in pain, wanting so desperately to punch the frivolous and idiotic people working to get me up to Capitol standards. Do the people here really not realize how ridiculous they all look? This group of three might be some of the worst. One girl barely looks older than me and has her skin dyed red and hair piled high on her head in the most absurd shade of orange. I think she's trying to look like fire when you add on the yellow suit. The two twin brothers are also ridiculous, mirroring the same "fashion" choices but in opposites. One with green hair, the other with red. One with skin dyed silver, the other gold. It's so ridiculous looking and I almost laughed when I first saw the people the Capitol sent to me. But now, I'm just hoping they don't make me look as crazy as they do. But maybe normal colored skin is too much to ask for here.

As the girl starts washing my hair – hopefully with just shampoo – I start wondering if Glacia's prep team is just as crazy. Maybe if we both arrive at the tribute parade looking like them, it won't seem too odd. No, I want her looking worse than me. We're both competing for the same sponsors and only one of us can go home to Two. So I can only hope she looks worse than me in the end.

The brothers are chattering around me and my mind continues to wander as I let them continue washing my body. My curiosity starts to think about Caitlin. Hopefully her stylist puts her in something beautiful tonight and not a tree like normal for District Seven. Perhaps they'll replicate the trees in autumn. That would look great with her hair.

Stop it, Lance. I can't be thinking like this about her, no matter how infatuated I am with her. There's no way this can work out. Only one of us will be making it out of the games and if I'm going to get home to Maylene, I need to be focused on myself, not someone who I haven't even met yet. Maybe she won't like me and I can just forget about her and play the games like I'm supposed to. But I don't think I could just forget about her. No, I'll have to talk to her tonight. So these crazy Capitol people better not make me look like a freak.

"Lance?" the girl says and I realize they've been trying to talk to me. She continues when she realizes I'm paying attention to her. "We're ready for you to meet Galen so just wait here and he'll be here in a couple minutes."

"Okay?" I respond, a little unsure of why it seems like they're asking for me to stay here. It's not like I have a choice. If I step out of line, I'm sure Peacekeepers will swoop right in to put me back where I belong so they're entertainment can continue. It's so disgusting how they are amused by children fighting to the death. And there really are children involved this year. Maybe the Reapings really are rigged and they wanted to have tributes from all ages to make things a bit more interesting. Surely that's why the relatives of two victors were picked for District Two.

The crazy trio of people leave me behind and with their constant chatter gone, the silence is almost deafening. I stare at the door, waiting for Galen to walk in and surely be as crazy as those three. If he is, I'm never going to get sponsors and will always be remembered as the tribute from District Two who had a terrible stylist. I glance down at my arm and let out a little sigh of relief. At least my skin is still it's normal color. But I'm still very naked so I look around and spot a robe. I grab it immediately and throw it on. As I'm tying the strap around my waist, the door opens and I try not to show my distaste at his appearance. The man who can only be Galen has his hair silver and styled to the side which I suppose isn't too extreme. His outfit is a white leather tank top paired with pants of the same fabric, showing off his arms that are covered in different tattoos.

Galen clears his throat as he walks in and I realize I've been staring to long without saying anything. I cross my arms and stare at him expectantly. This is his job so he can speak up first. "Come with me," he says before turning around, grasping his hands behind his back as he walks out the door. He doesn't even wait to see if I'm following him and I figure I probably should, not wanting to get forced into doing anything. And there's no way I can stop this from happening.

Galen takes me down a long hallway, still silent as he leads me past doors filled with the other tributes going through the same grueling process I just experienced. Part of me wishes I could just bust through the doors and kill them now, ruining their games. But they would definitely kill me for that, probably Maylene too and I can't let that happen. I need to come back to her and that means playing their games and winning. Before Galen opens another door, I briefly wonder again where Caitlin is and what she'll be wearing.

But I'm being ushered into the new room and Galen closes the door as I take in the studio. Front and center is what must be my outfit, hidden by a sheet. It's obvious they want to build up suspense for what I will be wearing and I'll admit, I'm a little curious now that I'm here. But I'm sure it will be a typical soldier outfit like always.

Galen motions towards the couch, still silent as I sit down. He stands in front of me, staring at me intensely and I feel myself wanting to hide in the corner away from his view. Finally, he stops and sits down across from me, pouring two glasses of water. It's only after he has handed one to me and leans back in his chair that he finally speaks again. "There's a theme this year."

"For the outfits? Or the games?" I ask and he looks at me as if I'm dumb, making me angry that he thinks he's above me for being born in the Capitol.

"For the chariot ride outfits," he responds quietly before taking a sip of water. "Lisia Arune wanted everyone and everything to be spectacular for the Quarter Quell this year." Galen is looking at me like I should know who he's talking about and the name sounds familiar, but I can't quite remember who she is. But I stay quiet, not wanting him to start judging me again. "And I'll admit, she did a good job picking the theme."

I look at him curiously as he falls silent again, staring at me once more. His gaze is starting to get a little weird and I start questioning if that's just normal or if he does that just for the tributes. "So what is the theme?" I finally ask after a minute of silence, needing to do something to diffuse the awkwardness.

"Greek gods and goddesses," I must be giving him a blank look because he sighs dramatically at this. "Don't they teach you any history lessons in the districts?"

I cross my arms at him and fight to not roll my eyes at him and his privilege here in the Capitol. "We do but only on stuff that matters to our daily lives."

Galen nods a little as he stares off, seemingly deep in thought. "Yes, yes, I suppose that makes sense." He continues staring at me again as he thinks. "Very well, I'll tell you a little so you're not completely clueless for the tribute parade." He rolls his eyes at me looking offended and I clench my fists in anger, wanting to punch him so badly. "The Ancient Greeks used to worship many gods and goddesses, each representing something different. The sky, the sea, the harvest, beauty, even a god for the underworld. Some were more important than the others and ruled their realm called Olympus."

"And how does this relate to the tribute parade?" I ask him, tired of him talking when I could be just getting dressed already.

"It has everything to do with the tribute parade," Galen answers immediately and I can tell I'm starting to annoy him. Good. "Each district was assigned a different god or goddess and the stylists had to create outfits based on them. For example, District Six has Apollo, the Messenger of the Gods. District Nine is Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest. District Ten has Persephone, Goddess of Springtime." He looks off to the side and starts mumbling to himself. "That one doesn't really make sense but I suppose there wasn't a god of cows."

"What about District Seven?" I ask him before I can think twice about it, needing to know what Caitlin will be wearing. The look on his face makes it clear he's curious about why I asked that district but decides not to bring it up.

"Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt, Forests, and the Moon," Galen answers and I nod my head. Yes, that sounds perfect for District Seven and I bet she will look ethereal as a moon goddess. "Now do you want to know what your god is?"

I shrug at him, enjoying the brief anger that flares in his eyes at me seeming to not care about this. "I suppose so," I say nonchalantly and take a sip of water to stop the laughter at him getting mad at me.

Galen takes a deep breath, trying to control himself. He mutters to himself as he closes his eyes. "Why did I get the one that doesn't care?" I smirk a little at this. Being able to upset any Capitol citizens that are used to tributes wanting to be there is a small victory and I'm going to continue doing this until we enter the games. He opens his eyes and looks at me. "District Two was given Ares, the God of War."

Ah, now that will be interesting. And as much as I don't like fighting, it will be a useful tool for getting sponsors to be dressed as a war god. I point over to the covered mannequin. "Then let's see this outfit already."

A full set of gold armor was not what I was expecting when Galen dramatically removed the sheet. And they didn't cut any corner with this outfit. Based on the weight, it feels like it could be used as real armor. What a waste of time and money. But hey, who cares when it looks good, right?

It took a good hour for the three people on my prep team to put the armor on me and get it strapped in place. That seems really impractical for a real war. I definitely made each of them angry at some point during that time, either by sighing dramatically or making some comment about how the armor was itchy. Galen even walked out at one point, muttering about how I'm impossible to work with and wishing I had my sister back here. That almost made me stop my attitude, but then I remembered how everyone is comparing me to my sister instead of viewing me as my own person. Plus, it's almost comical how easily offended they are. Maybe it's a little cruel for me to be acting this way but it's hard to even view them as people when they're dressed so differently from the districts.

Is that how they view us and can just sit by as they watch children kill each other?

I start frowning but get told to stop that immediately as the girl continues putting my makeup on. Maybe it's wrong for me to be treating them that way. It's only furthering the rift between the Capitol and the districts. And these people haven't done anything wrong to me, just tried to make me look up to Capitol standards so I can win sponsors. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" the girl asks as she pauses to look at me. She doesn't look angry at me anymore, only caring and that makes me feel even worse.

"For being rude to you," I pause and look at the twin brothers and Galen. "All of you. I never wanted this situation and I guess I'm taking the stress of it out on you. So I'm sorry."

Galen crosses his arms at me as the prep team watches, not sure how to react. After a few seconds, he starts smiling at me, one of the first happy emotions I've ever seen on him. "Apology accepted. And I'll apologize now for myself and the team if we treated you poorly because we're so used to having volunteers from your district."

I smile at him, still feeling a little bad about how I was treating them earlier. They're not the one I should be angry with because they weren't the ones who created these games or picked my name. "I understand that but please don't compare me to my sister. I've always lived in her shadow and for once, I want to be remembered for something I did."

Galen continues smiling at me as the girl continues putting makeup on my face and the brothers make sure my armor doesn't have any fingerprints on the gold armor lined with vine patterns. "I can do that," he responds and motions for the boys to grab something from the side. I try to turn to look but the girl tsks at me and turns my chin around. "Don't worry, just the last touches on your outfit. Hold out your left arm." I do as he says and the brother with the green hair slides something on my arm. "Cilan, turn that shield so I can see it." So that's what his name is. They had mentioned it earlier but I had been too annoyed by them to remember it. "Yes, that will do. I didn't like the District Two seal at first but now, I think it is the perfect touch. Having it blank would have looked bad." Galen holds his hand up. "Hold off on that for now, Milan."

Even their names match? Wow. No wonder they match everything; they've been destined to do that since their birth.

Galen takes a step closer and the girl moves to the side so he can get a better look. "Yes, his makeup is good. Great job, Mira." Galen circles around me, giving me a good look over. "This outfit is definitely one of my best. You three can leave, I'll finish up." He waits for the three to leave, Milan handing him a golden spear. Once the door is closed behind me, Galen hands the spear to me. He walks over to the mannequin and picks up the last piece of armor. "We can't have a Greek soldier without a helmet." He sets the helmet on me careful before stepping back, looking at me proudly.

Galen motions for me to turn around towards the large mirror. I do as he says and when I see my reflection, I raise my eyebrows in shock at how perfect the armor fits me. I look as if I did come out of ancient times, ready to fight in a war. And while I thought the big red feathers on the helmet traveling in a line from the front to the back would be over the top at first, now that it's on my head, I think it is great. I look like a soldier. No, not a soldier. A God of War.

I adjust my grip on the spear as Galen walks in front of me, feeling uncomfortable about the feeling of holding a weapon in my hand. "Do you like it?"

"I don't like anything about this," I mumble and he doesn't look offended after my apology earlier. "But is it a great outfit that will win me sponsors while scaring the other tributes?" I pause and look at him, starting to smirk a little. "Absolutely."

"Good, I'm glad you like it," Galen nods before motioning towards the door. "It's time to face Panem."

He leads the way and I follow him, starting to feel anxious about being paraded through the city. Galen seems to realize this as he leads me through the hallway and stops in front of an elevator and he tries to give me a reassuring look. "You'll be fine. But it's best if you act tough for this and really portray a god of war."

"I'll do my best," I say as we step on the elevator. I try to start scowling, imitating how Glacia always looks. Galen gives a nod of approval as the doors open and we step out on the ground floor of the Remake Center. Most of the other tributes have already arrived and I'm in awe at all of the costumes the stylists created this year. The chariots are even painted to match the assigned god or goddess.

I try to recall the ones Galen had mentioned as we pass the other tributes. The girl and boy from Ten have short white dress like things on with a crown of flowers on their head, and a staff wrapped in flowers that start dead at the bottom and bloom at the top. Springtime, he had said. Yes, there must not be a god for livestock so they had to make do with spring since animals need it to live.

"What's that outfit called?" I ask Galen as we pass the boy from Nine wearing an off white tunic, a crown of woven golden grass, and holding a basket of wheat and grains. His chariot is lined with the grain they are known for and the boy looks at me afraid as I pass. I try to remember his age, knowing he's either twelve or thirteen. No wonder he's afraid of me being a lot older and stronger.

"A chiton," Galen says as we pass the tributes from Eight wearing them, holding some type of harp, a grown of a golden wreath on the heads, and gold bows across their back. "It's a traditional Greek garment."

As we approach District Seven's silver chariot, I look around hopefully for Caitlin but I'm disappointed when I see she isn't there yet. Even her district partner hasn't arrived yet and I know I'll just have to wait to see her. Galen makes me pick up the pace and I'm not able to really look at the other districts as we quickly pass them. The only thing I can tell is that they're all wearing those chitons. District Three seems to have some sort of leather chiton on but I don't really look at them as my focus is on the golden chariot in front of them, lined with spears on it. And standing in front of it is Glacia, wearing a set of armor matching mine.

As we approach, she looks away from her stylist and takes in my outfit. She looks fierce in hers and I get chills as I see the desire to kill in her piercing blue eyes. I have no doubt that she will be the biggest competition in the arena. I can feel a frown forming on my face as I realize there's a very real possibility that she might kill me. And big surprise, she's smirking a little.

"Let's get this over with," I mumble stubbornly as I shift in my armor, feeling uncomfortable with this whole thing now that I'm in front of someone who is so prepared for the games. Galen looks me over as Glacia gets nudged towards the chariot. As she steps on, I look at Galen, feeling unsure about this whole thing. "I don't know if I can do this with her."

"Yes, you can," he responds immediately, smiling encouragingly at me. "Now get up there, impress the crowd, and win some sponsors."

I nod at him, doing what I'm told. This is not what I ever wanted to do. I start scowling as I realize we're about to be paraded in front of the entire country. Once I'm up on the left side of the chariot, Glacia looks away from the tributes from One and smirks at me. This makes me scowl even more and she raises an eyebrow at me. "Stop looking pissed off at the Capitol. That's not going to help us out."

I lean against the side of the chariot and start glaring at her. I try crossing my arms but can't with the shield on and that makes me angrier at her. "So what am I supposed to do since you're obviously so knowledgeable about being in the games?" I ask her sarcastically, not able to control my mouth around her. I don't know what it is about her that makes me so fired up and not like my usual reserved self.

"Look tough. We're representing the God of War and we want the Capitol to think we're soldiers," she raises her eyebrows at me as I continue frowning at her. She makes sure I'm paying attention to her before continuing, looking like she wants to kill me for being so stubborn. "Most importantly, we want the tributes to be afraid of us."

I think about this for a few seconds, knowing she's right but not wanting to admit it. Mostly I'm thinking about the spears we were given and hoping they aren't sharp so she can't hurt me. I finally nod at her begrudgingly. The first chariot starts moving and I stand up straight, knowing I can't be slouching as we get moving. That is no way to impress the sponsors. The crowd is already cheering loudly as they see the District One tributes dressed up luxuriously and our horses start pulling us forward towards the crowd. Time to be paraded like animals.

The screams are almost deafening as we exit the Remake Center. I stand there shocked for a few seconds, questioning how this many people can be cheering for us based on just our outfits and what district we come from. Sure, we look tough but we're still only children. Glacia starts waving her spear in the air as people are chanting our names. Well, she's not a child. She's ready to fight. And I need to do the same thing. Once I get out of my shock and realize more people are chanting her name, I start raising my own spear, needing to not let her do better than me. And I might be too late as the next chariot has left the Center but I know I can still win over some sponsors.

As we making our way to the City Circle, I glance at the screens displayed and see that we are taking up a decent amount of the time. And try as she might, Glacia is on there as much as I am. Even though I hate the thought of people screaming in excitement for me to kill in a few days, I try to play the part of a good tribute, waving at the crowd with my spear. I'm not ready to be killing for them but I will change that over the next few days while training. I can't afford to not be ready because that's the difference between life and death.

When we arrive at the City Circle, our chariot comes to a halt next to District One's. I can see Glacia next to me set her spear down and put a hand on her hip, looking around at the other tributes. I rest the end of my spear on the ground and start paying attention to the other tributes arriving. But not before noticing an exchange happen between Glacia and Lorelei. My district partner nods her head at the other girl and is smirking as she looks away. So she's already started to make an alliance. I'm not even surprised.

The chariots and outfits for the other tributes really don't disappoint. Maybe they Gamemakers should pick a theme like this every year because it's clear that everyone looks good. But maybe that would ruin the Quarter Quell being special compared to normal years.

District Six comes to a stop and I look past them expectantly, knowing Caitlin will be next. And boy, was I right about her looking beautiful as Artemis. Her silver chiton fits perfectly, showing off her curves without being too much. Her auburn hair is pinned back from her face with a crown of silver leaves, letting the world see her beautiful hazel eyes that are looking around at the crowd, trying to be brave. And with the silver bow and arrows she's holding, she looks ready to go on a hunt. I've never seen pictures of Greek goddesses but she is what I picture in my head.

Glacia clears her throat next to me and I try to ignore her as Caitlin's chariot arrives. "Knock it off, we're supposed to still look tough."

I immediately start frowning at her, not liking that she has noticed my interest in Caitlin because she'll start using that to manipulate me. I keep looking over at Caitlin as she comes to a stop. She gazes around at the tributes that have arrived before her, still trying to look brave. When our eyes meet, I try to smile at her a little but she immediately starts glaring before looking away. I turn back towards the balcony with the Gamemakers, glaring at them because of Caitlin's rejection. Of course she didn't appreciate my attention, she probably thinks I'm a typical tribute from Two. Glacia chuckles a little next to me and I start scowling and muttering to myself, really starting to hate that girl. "You won't be laughing once the games start."

The steps towards the balcony as Glacia smirks, clearly having heard my comment. I really wish I could slap that smirk off of her face. Soon. "Oh I will," she answers and I raise my eyebrows at this. I wasn't expecting her to actually hear that or respond. And the fact that she thinks she'll still be laughing in the games sends chills down my spine. I really don't want to be near her in the games but I need to in order to survive at first.

President Xavier raises his hands and the crowd falls silent as they wait for him to address them. I'm frowning as he starts, not because of him. He's actually been a very good president for Panem. But mostly because of this terrible situation and everything that I'm forced to do. "Welcome, citizens of Panem," he pauses as he is met with some cheers and smiles at the crowd. "It is with great honor that I welcome you to the Fifth Quarter Quell!" The Capitol crowd cheers loudly around us and I feel disgust towards this people who are so ready for us to start killing each other. Once the crowd has quieted down, he continues. "While the games started from a dark time in Panem's history, it continues to bring us together as a country in one united celebration." That's a load of bullshit and he knows it. None of the districts other than One, Two, and Four actually enjoy the games. But he ignores this and raises his glass towards the chariots, making eye contact with all of us. I find my glare lessening as he looks at us, a bit of pride in his eyes and something else. Maybe disappointment? It's possible he knows our relatives and doesn't want them to experience loss. No, that's not accurate because I'm still positive the Reaping was rigged.

But the president continues, smiling down at us as if 21 of us won't be dead in a few weeks. "Tributes, we salute you and your dedication for Panem. Your sacrifice does not go unnoticed and you will be remembered for your bravery." I let out a quiet scoff at this because that couldn't be farther from the truth. No one remembers anyone but the victor. "And as always, Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor."

I feel relieved when the chariots start to move again, the crowd cheering loudly as they get their last look at us before we enter the Training Center. Glacia waves her spear again and I don't for the short distance, feeling uneasy about this after the president's speech. I try not to glare at the crowd while still looking tough. When we enter the building, I hear Glacia let out a sigh of relief and for once I'm on the same page as her. I couldn't be happier to be away from the crowd.

As soon as we come to a halt, Glacia jumps out of the chariot, moving surprisingly fast for wearing a full set of armor. I lean against the side and set my spear next to me as I watch where she's going for a few seconds, not surprised when she approaches the tributes from District One. That girl is not wasting any time with making allies. I look over at Four's chariot, knowing that will be where she goes next. Ardos is hugging Anabel, seemingly trying to comfort her. Are we sure we want these two as allies? It seems like they'll hinder us more than help. Oh well, that's not my problem. Glacia wants to lead us so badly so she can deal with that going wrong and hopefully I'll be gone at that point.

I jump down from my chariot, looking around for the mentors. When I don't see any, I make up my mind and start heading for the silver chariot with moons painted over it. Time to get Caitlin to change her mind and stop glaring at me.

As I make my way past tributes, some being scared and moving quickly out of my way, others giving me confused looks, I start to wonder if this is a good idea. I shouldn't talk to Caitlin and learn more about her. I'll only end up being more attached and then I might want to save her more than I want to save myself. No, if I don't survive – which is likely, based on probability – I want to enjoy these last few days, even if we both can't survive. And that girl is so beautiful that even if I tried, I wouldn't be able to stop thinking about her.

Caitlin's district partner has just stepped down and she is following him as I reach their chariot. And it's a good thing I did come over because she steps on the end of her chiton, tripping and falling out of the chariot. I run forward and catch her, becoming mesmerized as I look at her hazel eyes. She looks very flustered as she figures out what happened. Her eyes change from gratitude to confusion as she realizes who caught her. After a few seconds of her still being in my arms from catching her, she clears her throat. "Um, you can set me upright now."

"Oh, sorry," I say and help her stand up. As she straightens out her outfit, I rub the back of my neck awkwardly at this situation. Damn, why have I never been good around girls? "I'm Lance, by the way," I add as she continues looking at me in silence and I hold out my hand to her.

"What do you want?" the boy behind her asks and I glance at him, seeing him standing there with his arms crossed as he glares at me.

I look back at Caitlin, noticing that she is wondering the same thing. But instead of glaring at me, she's more curious as she waits for my answer. I'll gladly take being curious over glaring again. "I just wanted to talk to Caitlin."

The boy looks ready to protest this as the two of us wait for Caitlin to react. I try reading the emotions on her face and can't figure it out. I'm left just hoping she won't turn me away. Finally, she nods once before turning to the younger boy. "It's alright, Riley. Go head up and I'll meet you there in a few minutes."

Riley doesn't look happy about this and is frowning at her. "Fine, I guess. But if you're not up in ten minutes, I'm coming back down to find you." He gives a good glare at me and I try smiling at him, only earning me a scowl before he turns to head towards the elevators.

Caitlin watches him leave for a few seconds before turning back to me, smiling a little as she shakes her head. "I don't know why, but he seems to be protective over me despite being younger. Maybe he just feels like we need to stick together because we're both from District Seven." She shrugs before looking me over curiously. "And he also has a distrust for anyone from a career district."

The silent question hangs in the air as we look at each other. _Should I also not trust you?_ And really, if she had made the decision most people would have made when I approached them, we wouldn't be talking still. "Well I'm not a career, despite the Capitol and everyone else wanting me to be one." I can still tell that she's a little unsure about me and I quickly try to give her reasons to not leave yet. "Look, if I was really a career, would I have come up to you and wanted to talk?"

I can see on her face that she knows I'm right, but she's still unsure about this situation. Hell, I'm still unsure about getting to know someone before a fight to the death. "Why did you want to talk to me specifically?" She asks softly as she looks at me.

I take off my helmet, running a hand through my hair as I think about this. Why? As I look back at her, I can see something different in her eyes as she looks at me without the helmet blocking my face. Maybe she's feeling the same attraction as me? "Because for some reason, I feel this crazy attraction towards you. And I know that nothing can ever happen because we met at the worst situation. But is it wrong to want to be happy for what's potentially my last few days alive?" I run a hand over my face, knowing this situation is crazy and wondering what is wrong with me that I can't stop thinking about Caitlin.

When I pull my hand away, I see her looking at me. So many emotions are passing over her face and all I can do is wait as she thinks about either rejecting me or maybe, just maybe, feeling the same way as me. She sighs before smiling sadly at me and I prepare for the worst answer. "You know, I've never met someone that I've wanted to date or has given me butterflies in my stomach. And I'll admit, when I was watching the Reapings and saw you, I did think you were pretty cute." I grin a little at this and she smiles a little back at me. She looks down for a few seconds and fidgets with her hands before returning her gaze towards mine. I take a deep breath when I see the passion there. "And standing in front of you, my heart is beating fast and I can't help thinking over and over, 'How is this attractive guy talking to me?' And while I don't believe in love at first sight, I know I somehow have crazy feelings about you." She chuckles and shakes her head. "It figures that the one time I find someone to feel this way about, it's right before the Hunger Games."

We stare at each other's eyes, not knowing what to do in this situation. All I know is that my heart is beating fast and I want to get to know her so badly. "What do we do?"

"Caitlin!" Someone yells and we both turn to look at the girl in the distance. I try not to glare at Laurel, last year's victor, as she smiles and waves at Caitlin. It wasn't her fault that Brycen died. The blonde girl is only my age, yet is already a mentor because District Seven now only has two living victors.

Caitlin waves at her mentor before turning back to me, a sad smile on her face as she stares up at me. "I don't know," she whispers to me. "But I have to go."

I nod at her, knowing I should also get going to my own mentors before they start wondering where I am. And a quick glance around shows that Glacia must have already gone up. I turn my attention back to Caitlin. "I should be going too. But we'll figure out some way to make this work. I'll find you in training tomorrow and we will make a plan."

"But won't you be joining your district partner and her alliance?" She asks curiously and looks back over her shoulder at Laurel waiting patiently for her.

I shrug as she turns back to me. "I really don't want to but I might." I nod my head towards Laurel and give her a light nudge. "Go. I'll think about it tonight and talk to you tomorrow."

"Okay," she says quietly before starting to walk towards her mentor. She stops after a few feet and turns around, giving me a dazzling smile. "And Lance? I'm really glad you came to talk to me."

"I'm happy I did too," I grin at her before she continues walking towards her mentor.

I watch Caitlin join Laurel who hugs her immediately and I'm almost a little jealous that she has a mentor so close to her age. Laurel whispers something and I read her lips, laughing at her comment. 'He's cute.' Caitlin glances back at me, a faint blush on her cheeks but she smiles when she sees I've noticed the exchange and nods her head at Laurel.

I turn and make my way towards an elevator, hoping they won't be going up immediately. Most of the tributes have went to their floors already but a few are straggling along, maybe not wanting to face the reality of the games really happening. But me? I can't stop smiling as I get on the elevator with a girl dressed in white with a belt of gold rope around her waist. As I press the button for two and she hesitantly reaches past me to press six, I notice the gold wings attached to her shoes and the staff she holds with two intertwined snakes and wings at the top. She presses herself against the back of the elevator, trying to put as much distance as possible between us. Normally I would have been bothered by it, but right now all I can picture in my head is Caitlin, beautiful auburn hair shining in the lights of the Capitol and her dressed as a goddess.

The doors open on my floor and as I step out, my good mood starts slipping away as I notice the rest of our group waiting for me on the couches. Their conversation dies away as I walk towards them and Flannery mutes the volume on the TV. I briefly notice that they're watching the Tribute Parade but we've already passed. Glacia crosses her arms at me and I feel out of place still wearing my armor since she has changed into normal clothes.

"Oh look who finally decided to grace us with their presence," Darach scoffs and I glare over at him, crossing my arms. "I was starting to wonder if you were going to get dragged in here by Peacekeepers because you tried to run away or something."

I roll my eyes at him before scowling when I see Glacia smirking at Darach's comment. I can't stop myself from responding to him, even though I know it's a bad idea. "I didn't know I had to be at your call to answer whenever. Oh wait, you're not my mentor."

"And I never wanted to be your mentor," Darach answers immediately, seemingly not bothered at all by my response. I can see Flannery looking upset out of the corner of my eye but I don't feel bad for speaking out. Someone needs to not put up with him.

"Darach, do you have to be so rude to Lance?" Roxanne says before I can respond. She stands up and puts her hands on her hips as she looks down at Darach who leans back against the couch, not looking bothered at all. "Not every tribute we mentor has to be one of your killing machines and you have no right to take it out on Lance if he isn't ready to throw himself on a sword for your training academy."

This comment makes an impact on Darach and I can see the fire in his eyes as he gets angry at Roxanne. "You wouldn't be here without that training. And yeah, I'll be rude to Lance. I don't like the kid. I also don't like that there were no volunteers this year. So sorry I'm going to support the tribute who actually deserved to be here and will actually win."

Glacia almost looks a little uncomfortable with this situation before that disappears, replaced by satisfaction. "Do you want to know what Lance was doing down there?" No, Glacia, please don't bring up Caitlin. I'm almost ready to beg her not to say anything and she knows this, smiling at me with satisfaction. "He was talking to the girl from Seven."

My fists clench and I'm almost ready to punch Glacia in the face as Darach scoffs at this. "Don't waste your time with tributes from the outer districts. They'll probably be dead in the bloodbath." He pauses and shrugs. "Or maybe you can join her and die then. It will save Glacia the trouble of killing you later on."

My hand reaches his face before I can even think about the action. Roxanne pulls me back from Darach immediately and I shake off her grip, glaring at Darach. He doesn't make any move to hit me back, only rubs his face where I punched him. "I'll kill Glacia in the arena just to spite you, asshole," I spit out venomously before storming off towards my room.

"Lance, wait!" I can hear Roxanne yell as she follows after me. I slam my door shut and lock it behind me, letting her pound on the door. "Open up the door, Lance."

I ignore her and scream out a little in frustration, hating that man and Glacia too. She didn't need to bring up Caitlin. Now I have to worry about protecting Caitlin against the careers because I'm sure Darach will tell her to get her allies to kill Caitlin just to make me angry and upset.

I start pulling at the straps on the armor, the fabric ripping as I pull the pieces off and start throwing them across the room. Why did this have to happen to me? I would have been so happy to let someone who was willing to volunteer and die take my place. But then I wouldn't have met Caitlin.

As I start thinking about her, a new fire starts filling me instead of anger. Now I have to protect her from Glacia. I will do whatever it takes to keep her safe. But that might mean making sure that the career pack – or whatever they want to call themselves – doesn't get to her, then I will do whatever I need to. And maybe if a few of them are dead, I can then protect her in person.

Once the armor is off, I throw myself down on the bed, feeling less angry and more determined right now. I know what needs to be done to keep Caitlin safe from Glacia, even if I don't like this plan. I don't know if I want her to win instead of myself because I do need to think about Maylene. But for the time being, I want to spend as much time as possible in the arena with Caitlin so I can protect her and enjoy what might be my last few days.

I have to join the pack and then betray them.


	4. Training Day 1

**Welcome to the 125th Hunger Games!**

 **Just a few things before the story begins. A reminder that this is one story out of two that are taking place during the same time. So if you are reading this story first and plan on reading the other, you may want to read the same chapter from the other in order to avoid spoilers to the character.**

 **I will update the stories on the same day, that way once the games start you can choose which story to read first as there will be some spoilers about what might happen to the other character.**

 **I'll let you begin the story. As always, please review and let me know what you think, good or bad. Any comments are good comments.**

 **Let the Games begin!**

* * *

 **Chapter 4:**

Why couldn't I just sleep nicely for one night? Apparently that's too much to ask for because my mind wouldn't shut up for the night and when it finally did stop thinking about how to betray Glacia, I kept waking up from nightmares with Caitlin being killed while Glacia laughs. This is so bad. I've only talked to Caitlin once and I'm already having nightmares about her death. How will I feel in the games? And what if I end up throwing myself in front of her to save her life and end up dying? I can't leave Maylene alone like that…

Well these thoughts are clearly going to keep me up still so I might as well get some breakfast. I turn over and see that sun is already shining in. They would probably wake me up soon anyways so might as well start getting ready for training today. The only good part of today will be getting to talk to Caitlin. I start smiling at that thought as I get out of bed. She might end up being the one good thing about these games. But will it be worth the sadness that will happen if I win the games?

Only time will answer that question but I do intend on answering it. I don't want to die. But do I want to watch someone I have this crazy attraction to die? Now that question I can't and don't want to answer because I'm scared of what my answer might be.

I'll worry about that once the games actually start. For now, I have to convince Glacia and the others that I won't betray them. I step out of my room and can smell the breakfast waiting. As much as I dislike the Capitol for putting me through this, at least they're feeding us well. I walk down the hallway and figure no one else will be up. But I stop for a second when I catch sight of Glacia's back facing me at the table. I didn't want to have to do this already but I guess I will.

As I continue walking towards her, she hears me and turns to look at me. There's disappointment in her eyes when she sees me, surrounded by dark circles. Huh, maybe these games are affecting her just like they are with me. She's weary as she watches me sit down across from her and start putting food on my plate. "You also couldn't sleep?"

I pause from grabbing food to look up at her. What is she getting at? Maybe she thinks I am really planning on leaving her alliance and is worried about it. She takes a sip of tea and shrugs at me. I watch her, noticing how exhausted she looks. But what strikes me is that she's not glaring at me or looking angry like normal. I return to grabbing food, wondering what kind of game she's playing and not wanting to fall into a trap. "Yeah."

I start eating my food and occasionally glance up to see her fidgeting with her toast, looking deep in thought and almost upset. This is so bizarre for her and I really want to know what has caused this change in her attitude. I also want to know what kept her up all night. But I keep silent, not wanting to say anything. I'm still a little angry at her for bringing up Caitlin. Although I did enjoy punching Darach and would gladly do it again.

Glacia throws down her piece of toast and I look up at her curiously. She almost looks disgusted at something. But what? She has everything she wanted. She's competing in the games she's trained so hard for. She stares at me, her dark circles noticeable as she looks uncomfortable about something. "I'm sorry for Darach last night."

I raise an eyebrow at this, not knowing if I should accept her apology. But then again, it's probably going to be the only apology I will get from her. I stare at her, trying to figure out if she actually means it or is just trying to scheme to get me back in her alliance. She does almost look like she feels bad about this. But I can't trust her. "Okay," I answer before turning back to my food. She can try all she wants to apologize but I won't ever truly forgive her or trust her.

"Okay?" Glacia asks confused as I start grabbing pieces of egg on my fork. I don't understand why she has a problem with me answering that way.

"Yeah, okay," I repeat and shrug at her, not knowing why she is expecting more of an answer from me. I take a bite of food and she starts doing the same, glaring a little at her food as she stabs it with her fork. If I made her made, good. She did that to me last night and I'm enjoying seeing her a little flustered and angry about her plans not working the way she expected them to.

We sit in silence for a few minutes. I'm eating as much food as I can, wanting to enjoy it while it lasts before the games. And I have nothing to worry about right now because I figured out last night when I couldn't sleep what I need to do with Caitlin. Glacia meanwhile is barely eating, almost looking disgusted. She suddenly throws down her fork and I jump a little at the noise as she gets up and quickly starts walking towards the hallway leading to our rooms. "I'm going to get ready."

Is her voice shaky? It almost sounds as if she's about to cry. But that can't be right. There's no way she would cry. And what would she even be getting upset about?

Oh. The alliance. She's about to walk out of the room and I speak up, needing her to know part of what I'm planning before it's too late for me to join again. "I'll meet you downstairs for training."

"What?" She asks immediately and stops in her tracks, turning her head as if to hear me better. And I'm not surprised by her reaction. She probably figured I would definitely be leaving her alliance.

"For training," I add as she still stands there, confused about me. "I'll meet you downstairs," I repeat and set down my fork, resting my elbows on the table as I look at her, hoping I haven't misjudged how much she needs me in her alliance. "I'm assuming we'll be training with our allies today?"

Glacia turns around, studying my face intently. I hope she doesn't see the deception on my face, even though she looks a little upset. Mostly confused, but she is definitely upset about something. I try to make sure she doesn't realize I see this, instead hoping she thinks I'm willing to join her alliance, even if I'm not happy about it. "You still want to be in my alliance?" She asks in disbelief.

I try not to laugh at how easily she's falling right into my plan. I didn't think she would be so willing to let me in right away. Maybe she's not as smart and well trained for the games as she wants people to believe. "Yes," I say hesitantly, hoping she thinks I'm only joining because I know it's the only option for me to survive the bloodbath. I continue, hoping to convince her I'm not just lying directly to her face. I hate the thought of joining her alliance but I know it's my best option to find Caitlin eventually. "After thinking about it last night, I realized that the best option for me is to join your group. We should stick together as tributes from the same district."

If she's smart, she'll realize this is a complete lie and that I don't trust her at all. As she stares at me, I can tell that she doesn't completely believe me and I'm okay with that, as long as she accepts me and doesn't decide to kill me immediately in the games. She nods her head at me and I hold in a sigh of relief. "Very well. I'll see you down there. Be prepared to learn."

Glacia turns to continue walking towards her room and I start smirking and feeling satisfied. Part one of my plan was successful. I'm sure she suspects something from me but for the time being, I'm good to start planning part two with Caitlin.

There's footsteps approaching and I look up to see Roxanne looking at me weary. "How much of that did you here?"

"Enough," she says as she joins me at the table. I nod at this, happy it will save me time getting her caught up. "And I saw Darach heading towards Glacia's door so I'm pretty sure everyone knows what's going on." She stares at me intensely, unlike her normal, kind gaze and I'm reminded that she did win the games once and killed people. "Now Lance, please tell me what your plan is."

I look past her to make sure no one is coming out before leaning forward and talking to her in hushed tones. "I have to join her alliance to survive the bloodbath."

"I understand that," Roxanne answers, mimicking me. "But once again, what's your plan? I know you don't want to work with her."

"Of course," I whisper, checking the hallway once again before quickly speaking to Roxanne. "I intend to leave the alliance very early on."

Her eyes lighten at the thought of this plan and she nods excitedly at me. I'm sure she knows exactly who I plan on joining when leaving the alliance. There's also that hint of sadness in her eyes and find myself once again wondering how she won her games. "Excellent. We'll discuss this more later," she doesn't need to say what we both know she means. We don't want Glacia or Darach overhearing. "In the meantime, go get ready for training."

I nod at her and stand up, heading towards my room right away. As much as I don't want to go to training, I don't want to end up being late. "And Lance?" She stops me at the hallway and I turn around to look at her. She's smiling at me yet her eyes are telling me to figure out the double meaning in her words. "Don't forget to learn stuff at the survival stations."

I question why she wants me to do this, other than the obvious reason. It will always be useful to know how to start a fire. But why the others? Roxanne raises her eyebrows at me, waiting for me to figure it out. Alright, what were we talking about before? Me leaving the career alliance to go off with Caitlin.

Caitlin…

I start smirking when I realize that is the excuse I can use to talk to Caitlin during training without making the others suspicious. "Of course," I respond to her and she looks satisfied that I figured it out before I turn back around and continue to my room. I'll just happen to go to the same stations that Caitlin is at and discuss things with her. I won't be able to go to every station that she is at, that would be too suspicious, but two or three will work.

I shut my door behind me and notice the black and gold outfit waiting on my bed. I ignore it for now, not quite ready to head downstairs and once again face the fact that I am going to be fighting for my life in a few days. Instead, I head into the bathroom and notice right away the dark circles around my eyes. That's not good. But I suppose I won't be the other one in rough shape from not being able to sleep. Who knows, maybe Glacia and I could say we were up late discussing strategies with our mentors? Yes, that will work. The others will think we're united and less likely to betray us sooner. Of course, I plan on leaving before that can happen.

I wash my face, trying to eliminate any traces of the chariot rides last night. I hate seeing myself with all this makeup and last night I didn't care to remove it. The Capitol is already managing to turn me into one of their pawns and I don't like it. And it's only going to get worse as training starts.

Once my face is clear of the remnants of the chariot ride, I have to face training. I don't know what part I'm looking forward to the least: learning to use weapons or dealing with the other tributes in Glacia's alliance. Definitely the tributes. I have to be so careful around them to not make them aware of my plan to betray them and how much Glacia and I don't get along. She might be good at acting tough all the time but that's not how I am. I'll let people know exactly how I feel towards them. But I guess I'll have to change that today.

I quickly throw on the clothes that fit me perfectly. The Capitol really goes all out with how they treat the tributes to luxuries. Yet in a few days, they'll make us starve and get covered in blood.

I'm shaking my hand at their double standard as I leave my room and walk towards the main room. Better to get this over with sooner rather than later because there's no way I can stop training from happening. As I approach the room, I can hear the two mentors talking at the table. When they see me, they both stop talking and take in my appearance. Roxanne gives an encouraging smile at me while Darach stares intensely before giving me a curt nod. Hmm, maybe he realized how ridiculous he was acting towards me. Probably not but hey, I'll take him slightly tolerating me over arguing. My fist still hurts a little from punching him yesterday.

Flannery glances up from the device she's on and grins when she sees me. "Lance, you might not have trained for years but seeing you in that outfit, well, you look like a career."

I purse my lips at her comment, not liking being compared to the careers. I might have had friends that were part of their system but I never wanted that. But I keep quiet, not wanting to upset our escort who seems so excited about seeing me dressed up for training. Darach also looks annoyed at her comment, both of us knowing I could pose a threat to Glacia winning. And Roxanne seems hesitant about agreeing with the comment since she's aware of my feelings towards careers.

Roxanne speaks up as a silence settles over us from none of us wanting to acknowledge Flannery's comment. "Glacia went down about ten minutes ago."

I shrug at this, not really surprised that she didn't want to wait for me. Hopefully she isn't telling the others about how terrible I am and planning how to backstab me. "Very well. And where exactly is down?"

"Press the button for the basement," Flannery points towards the elevator before moving back to pick up her device. She gives me a half smile, almost looking as if she has to do it for the sake of formality. So she's already picked Glacia as the one she wants to win. Well she'll be in for a shock when I win. "Good luck today."

I nod at the three before walking to the elevator and pressing the down button. As I wait for the doors, I turn back to Roxanne. "Any advice?"

"Just remember what I told you," she answers as the elevator dings behind me. She motions for me to get going and I listen to her, turning around and freezing in place when I see the occupants.

Caitlin is staring out at me, eyes wide at the surprise of the elevator she was on stopping on my floor. The boy from Nine is there too, trying to stand as far away from her as possible. He lazily raises an eyebrow at me hesitating to walk on so I step forward. I stand next to Caitlin, very aware of the few inches of space between us as the doors shut and we continue down. I dare not look at her, not wanting to let the boy know there is something between us. As the elevator slows to a stop, she brushes her hand against mine. Not enough to draw attention to the motion. But just enough to know she still wants to do this together.

The corner of my lips turn up in a smile as the doors open but it disappears when I see the training set up in front of us. The sight of the weapons has me unhappy about this whole thing again. The boy leaves right away, careful to step past us without drawing attention to himself. Caitlin hesitantly walks out next, almost looking like she wants to turn back towards me but stops herself. I'm glad she didn't as I step out of the elevator and observe the tributes already there. Sure enough, Glacia is with the pair from One and they're all watching me. It's good that Caitlin didn't bring any unnecessary attention to us.

As I walk towards my allies, I start frowning at the fact that Glacia is smiling like she knows something that the others don't. And she does know that something is going on with me and Caitlin. I just hope as I approach the others that she doesn't decide to share this information with them.

The girl from One crosses her arms as I approach and I can feel her looking me over as I turn towards the boy. He almost looks excited right now about the training and I don't understand how someone as young as him is happy about being here. I turn towards the girl, not knowing what to think about the boy. I meet her gaze, not flinching away as she stares me down. I can't let her view me as weak and looking at her, I can tell that she's had some training. It's best not to let her know right away that she's better prepared than I am. After a few seconds pass of her not moving, I hold out a hand towards her, trying to pretend that I'm committed to this alliance. "I'm Lance."

A second passes before she takes my hand and grips it tightly. "Lorelei," she says as she clearly tries to assert herself over me. I don't flinch away from her, realizing this is a test. She finally lets go, looking satisfied that I shouldn't be a threat to her winning. Oh if only she knew my real plan, she would not be thinking that.

The boy steps up as soon as Lorelei has let go of my hand and takes it, shaking it rapidly. "I'm Ryoko, also from District One," he pauses and I'm trying hard not to let my face show how disgusted I am with his attitude towards the games. He looks me over before turning back towards me, "Man, did you get any sleep last night? You look terrible!"

Part of me wants to punch this kid for being so rash about how I look, regardless of if it's true. A quick glance at Glacia shows that she's also worried about something happening like that. And as much as I would like to, that would probably ruin the alliance and I can't have them targeting me at the beginning. Luckily I had a feeling someone would bring this up. Time to see how well I can act around them.

I start chuckling at the boy, trying to make it seem like I'm nonchalant about this and his comment doesn't bother me. I can see Glacia looking shocked out of the corner of my eyes and this makes me start smirking, knowing I have surprised her. "Not really. Glacia and I were up late discussing strategy with our mentors."

Glacia gives me a nod of approval at this and I know I made a good call with using that excuse. I find myself actually being happy about having Glacia like my plan and start wondering what is wrong with me. Just because she showed a little bit of emotion earlier instead of acting tough doesn't mean that I should suddenly want to get along with her. Luckily, Lorelei gives me an excuse to stop thinking about how Glacia might not be as bad as she wants people to think she is. The girl from One is staring at me skeptically and I wonder if she doesn't believe that Glacia and I get along and are happy in this alliance. "And when do we get to hear these plans?"

I glance over at Glacia quickly, not knowing how to respond to this. I didn't think they would question the nonexistent plans we made. Now, I'm going to end up getting us caught in a lie because I wanted us to look good and not be feeling the emotional baggage of being in the games.

"You can hear them when we feel like telling you," Glacia says and I almost let out a sigh of relief at her responding. I might not like her but she's proving to be useful with navigating the social aspect of the games. Lorelei raises an eyebrow while Glacia crosses her arms. I watch the two of them, starting to wonder if they were going to get in a fight right now. Maybe my lie wasn't the best idea. But Glacia seems to be committed to the story now. "Do you really want me to announce our plan in front of all of these tributes? That's a great way to get us killed on the first day!"

Glacia's voice has started raising in volume and I look around anxiously. The other tributes are definitely noticing the argument within our alliance and it's not going to be good for me. How am I supposed to sneak away after a couple days if the alliance is broken from the start? I need to figure out some way to fix this because Lorelei looks like she wants to punch Glacia who is not backing down from the challenge. I don't understand how these two are so ready to start a fight. But then again, that was why I always stayed away from the training center. I didn't have that desire to fight all the time.

"What's going on?" I hear a boy ask and feel relief going through me when Lorelei turns towards the new person arriving to our alliance. Glacia is smirking as we look at the new person, probably pleased with herself and thinking she won this argument. Meanwhile, I'm just happy the trainers didn't have to step in to stop a fight from happening. I look around at the other tributes watching us, making brief eye contact with Caitlin before turning towards the new ally. She gives me just the faintest hint of a smile, trying to get rid of some of my stress at blending in to this alliance. And it does cheer me up very slightly as I look over at who stopped the almost fight.

Well, two people, I notice as our allies from District Four have arrived. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to see Anabel standing next to Ardos who is looking at the four of us with his arms crossed. He looks angry that something was happening without him hear and I don't blame him. If I actually wanted to be part of this alliance, I would have acted the same way as him.

"Just a little disagreement about plans," Glacia speaks up but I'm too busy looking at Anabel. She's standing slightly behind Ardos as if he can protect her from everything that's about to happen in the games and I can feel myself pitying her. No one as young as her should be forced into the games like this. "Lorelei seems to think that now would be a good time to discuss strategy, especially with all of the other tributes around," Glacia continues and I can see her gesture around us. I'm sure there are plenty of tributes still watching us and some who are terrified about being noticed by her. Ardos still looks angry about missing out on stuff but is starting to look a little skeptical. Great, another ally who doesn't trust Glacia at all. At this rate, I probably won't even have an alliance to leave. Glacia seems to be noticing this too and tries to fix the problem. "No matter, there will be plenty of time to discuss strategy during training and once the games have started."

I keep looking at Anabel who is avoiding looking at all of us. She'll glance around hesitantly, barely making eye contact before turning back towards the floor. Why are we forcing this girl to be in our alliance? She doesn't look like she could harm anyone and being with us is only going to put her in danger and see terrible things. But she'll always be in danger, regardless of who she is in an alliance with. Once the games start, she won't stand a chance. This small, scared girl in front of me will be dying in the games, not just because it has to be that way for me to win, but also because she is scared and won't be able to fight the larger tributes.

I feel pain for her as I stare at her, knowing she doesn't deserve to die like this. But none of these children here deserve that. Yet it will happen to all of us until only one of us is left alive. I don't know whose fate is worse: the children who die in the games or the victor who is left living with the memories of what they did to still be alive. These game really are messed up.

Glacia clears her throat and as I look over at her, I realize that we've all been in silence for a few seconds. The others were probably sizing each other up but I can't let them know that I was taking pity on everyone who has to die in the next couple of weeks. My district partner nods her head over towards the pair from Four and I question what she wants me to do for a few seconds. As she stares at me, trying to give me a silent message, I can see the desire on her face to make the others think she's in charge. And somehow, that involves me helping her.

I turn towards the boy and hold out a hand to him, starting to feel confident about the fact that I play a major role in Glacia keeping an alliance together. It is going to be great to see how terrible things go when I run away to be with Caitlin. She has to expect this to happen but for now, I'll play her games and act like I'm a career with her. "Lance Henderson," I say as he grabs my hand and shakes it firmly, both of us knowing this action itself is a small test to see who is committed to this alliance.

The girl takes my hand hesitantly and as I look at her, I can feel myself getting upset at these games. This is not good, I can't have another person to be worried about in the games. It's bad enough that I'm going to be concerned for Caitlin until I find her.

After I've let go of her hand, the boy finally introduces himself. "Ardos," he says before placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. She stands up a little straighter and it's obvious that she wants to prove herself to her district partner. There's almost a fire in her eyes as he introduces her and I start to wonder if she might end up being not as weak as I initially thought. "And this is Anabel."

I can feel someone push past me and I'm about to get angry at them before seeing it was Ryoko running forward. He grabs Anabel's hand and starts shaking it excitedly. Anabel is standing there in shock at how energetic the boy is as he moves over to shake Ardos' hand who doesn't look happy with the boy. At least I'm not the only one who seems to be annoyed by him. "Pleasure to meet you! I'm Ryoko, District One tribute."

I watch the pair from Four look at each other and try not to smile in amusement at them trying to figure out what to do about Ryoko. Hopefully once the games start, we can all tolerate him long enough to still get sponsors for our alliance. I don't think the sponsors would be too happy with us for killing off the younger, energetic member. But then again, maybe they would like it. Clearly they are cruel enough to put twelve-year-olds in the game so why not be cruel enough to enjoy watching an alliance betray someone that young?

I'm scowling a little at this thought as Lorelei steps forward. I take a moment to actually take in her appearance as she introduces herself to the pair from Four. Yes, she is beautiful like all of the District One tributes always are. She'll get us sponsors for her looks. But the bloodlust in her eyes makes her less attractive to me. Oh well, hopefully I won't have to deal with her in the games. Lorelei holds out her hand to the two of them and they shake it. "And I'm Lorelei. I'm looking forward to working with you."

Ardos has an almost amused look on his face as he responds to her, "Yes, so am I." Our group gets quiet and I start thinking why it's happening. But then I realize why he looked amused. We all know this alliance won't last forever and we can act friendly all we want but we all have the same goal. Make it out of the games alive.

A gong rings just as the silence is starting to become a little uncomfortable. I look around at the other tributes and realize this must be our signal that training is about to start as people start moving towards a woman standing near the training stations. Our group starts walking over and I feel a little uneasy being associated with them. The way they want to go through the games is the exact opposite for me but yet, if I want to get to Caitlin, I have to do this. I look around for her as Ryoko grabs Anabel's arm and drags her forward, closely followed by Ardos who looks concerned. Yeah, that protectiveness is going to cause an issue in the games. Caitlin is with her district partner and seems to know I'm looking for her as she looks up, making eye contact with me. She gives me a very faint smile as her eyes tell me an unspoken message. _We'll get this to work._

I have to keep myself from smiling as I turn back towards the head trainer as I stop next to Glacia. The others are all on the other side of her and I'm thankful that I don't have to be in the middle of them. Pretending to be in this alliance is a lot more work than I thought it would be. And I probably would have gotten kicked out if it wasn't for Glacia earlier. As much as I don't like her, it seems like we keep ending up needing each other to get towards our goals. I lean towards her a whisper, trying not have the others hear me. "Thanks for covering for me," I whisper to her, genuinely meaning it. I might be planning to betray her but for now, I can appreciate her indirectly helping me out.

She turns her head slightly to look at me, a bit of shock on her face. Clearly she was not expecting me to say that. She nods her head at me, silently acknowledging me and I shift away, not wanting to be as close to her. The other tributes start moving around us, trying to keep their distance from our group as they wait for the head trainer to speak to us and I wish I could blend in with the other tributes.

"Welcome, tributes," the head trainer begins and I start scowling at her. Training is going to terrible to get through and take so much effort to keep up with my lies. And I just don't want to learn how to take someone's life. "For the next three days, you will be free to move about the stations behind me," she continues and I look behind her, my eyes drawn to the weapons. I'm going to have to learn how to use them if I want to stay in this alliance. And I must do that to keep Caitlin safe. "You may not fight among the other tributes. There are plenty of trainers here to help you practice each station." That's a shame, I wouldn't mind getting to punch Glacia a little bit. But I'm sure she would enjoy doing the same thing to me and could probably beat me in a fist fight. "After that, you will have a private session with the Gamemakers to present your skill of choice," the woman moves her arm to the side and I follow her gesture towards the men and women standing on a ledge overlooking the room. I start scowling when I notice the Head Gamemaker standing in the front, nodding her head in approval at us. Does she really view this as just a game and something to amuse the Capitol? People are going to lose their lives.

The head trainer begins speaking again and I cross my arms as I turn my attention back towards her. "Do not ignore the survival stations. Many of you want to go right to the weapons," she pauses as she looks over at my allies and I think I start scowling even more about being associated with their bloodlust. The woman turns her attention back towards the other as she continues, "Many of you will die from the elements. Infection, dehydration, or the wrong plant can kill you just as easily as another tribute." She pauses once more as she stares at all of us, trying to let her words sink in. And I know for some of the outer districts, they will be listening to every word she's said. With a nod, she finishes her speech, "Very well. You may begin."

I turn towards my allies, not knowing what stations I should start at. Luckily, everyone else seems to be waiting for Glacia to talk to us. She looks smug about being in the leadership role as she looks around at us. I look around hesitantly at the other tributes moving towards the stations slowly, wishing I could just be like them and go on my own before maybe finding someone I genuinely wanted to be allies with. Before turning back to Glacia, I notice Caitlin heading towards the fire making station. I want so badly to join her there but instead, I stay back and wait to see what to do. Glacia speaks up once she knows she has all of our attention and I once again wish I could smack the smirk off of her face. "Okay, let's get training. We should all practice with the weapons we're most comfortable with."

I watch the others agree to her words, Lorelei nodding her head before starting to head in the direction of the bows. Ryoko runs past her and I raise an eyebrow at him scaring some of the tributes as he gets to the knives. Meanwhile the two from Four have started to go over towards the tridents. Glacia is still next to me, watching the four practice with weapons, surely trying to get an idea of how skilled they are.

But I don't move, not knowing where to go. There's so many different types of weapons and I have no idea what I might be good at. I turn towards Glacia when I notice her looking over at me. And as reluctant as I am to ask for her help, she knows way more than I do with this stuff. "Where do I even start?"

She looks me over, probably trying to figure out a weapon for me based on my body type. But her scrutiny just makes me start to feel uncomfortable. I'm happy when she finally speaks up, even if it means I'll have a place to start training. "Hmm, I would say try out the swords, maybe some maces," she says and doesn't seem annoyed at me asking for her opinion. Maybe she's realized I'll be more helpful to her if I actually know what I'm doing. "I think they'll suit you well."

I'm unsure about these options and Glacia must see my hesitation because she motions for me to walk with her towards the weapons. I follow her, realizing that the other tributes might notice soon that we haven't moved yet. Glacia starts leading me over towards the swords and I try to stall having to start. "And how should I figure out which one to stick with?"

She stops me before we reach the station and I can see the trainer waiting and looking hopefully at us that he might have someone to practice with. She gives me a stern look and I raise an eyebrow at her. "Lance you need to get it together. You might not like this whole thing but you need to start acting like a career. And that means learning how to use weapons." She nods her head towards the trainer and I look over at him, scowling a little about Glacia being right. "Ask the trainers for help. They know more about their specific weapons than I do." I must not look thrilled about this because she gives me a shove towards the swords and she's lucky I'm more concerned about training because I might have punched her for pushing me. "If you need a break, go practice some survival stuff. We both know you need all the training you can get."

That comment has me turning back to glare at her. It might be might but it doesn't mean I'm happy about constantly being reminded about how underprepared I am for these games. She crosses her arms at me and stands there, so I continue towards the swords. Once I've actually picked one up, she leaves to go towards the spears and I'm happy she's gone.

I hold the sword tentatively in my hand, surprised by the weight of it. The trainer approaches me, looking at me curiously as I tentatively swing the sword a little. "First time with one of those?"

I try not to glare at the trainer as I look over at him, wondering why everyone must keep mentioning my lack of training. The man doesn't seem like he is trying to be rude about it and just doing his job. "Yeah, it is."

He nods his head at that and motions for me to hand the sword to him. "Very well, we don't want you poking your own eye out," he jokes as I give him the weapon. He smiles at me as he adjusts his grip on the hilt. "This is how you want to hold it. It will give you a good grip on it and allow for you to swing it better," he waves the sword a bit for example and I try not to let it bother me that what he didn't mention is that it will allow me to kill others better. He turns the sword to give it back to me and I hesitantly take it from him. "Give it a try. And by the way, I'm Hendrick."

I nod as Hendrick motions towards the dummies. I step towards them, trying not imagine the dummies as being real people. But it's hard when they've made the as close to being lifelike as possible. How am I supposed to do this to an actual person? I take a tentative swing towards the dummy, causing the sword to barely lodge itself on the shoulder. That wouldn't do any good against someone in the arena other than open myself up to an attack.

I must be frowning about this because Hendrick comes up and puts a hand on my shoulder. He might be trying to make me feel better but really, he's just making me even more annoyed. "Try again but this time, swing it a bit more. You want to let the momentum and weight of the blade do the work, otherwise you'll tire yourself out after a couple swings."

As much as I want to just quit doing this, I listen to him after a quick glance over towards the other weapons shows that the others in my alliance are doing a lot better than I am with the weapons. I give the sword another swing towards the dummy, following Hendrick's advice and manage to lodge the sword deeper in the dummy this time.

"Much better," Hendrick says to me enthusiastically. "Try again!"

I continue to make swings at the dummy, getting the sword to make deep cuts in the dummy. But then I start to picture if I was doing this to a person, watching the fear on their face before they start bleeding. My stomach starts to turn at the thought of taking someone's life and I eventually throw down the sword angrily. I can't do this. Hendrick gives me a startled look before I leave the swords, disgusted with myself for playing into the games and learning to use a weapon. As I make my way towards the fire making station, I ignore the looks of terror from some of the other tributes. I probably look angry right now but not for the reasons they think.

Caitlin is still there, struggling to light a fire. Anabel is also nearby at the station, both of them quiet as they build fires separately. I briefly wonder what Anabel is doing there without Ardos as I sit down, making eye contact with Caitlin for a fraction of a second. I silently communicate to her that we can't talk yet as I begin gathering supplies.

As I begin laying down kindling for my fire, I'm surprised when Anabel speaks up to me. "You don't like the weapons either?"

I look up at her curiously, trying to figure out if there's any hidden reasons for her to be talking to me. But when she smiles cautiously at me, I can tell that she's just a scared little girl who is trying to find someone who is feeling the same way as her. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Caitlin trying to watch us discretely. "Yeah, I'm not really a fan of the fighting."

Anabel gives me a small smile as the trainer points out to me that I should be stacking the sticks in a pyramid formation to allow air to get to the kindling. "So am I. That's why I had to come here for a bit and get away from Ardos." She pauses and nods her head over towards the trident station. I glance over to see Ardos still practicing, swinging his trident and making hits that would be fatal on a real person. But my attention soon gets drawn over to the spears where Glacia is making quite the display of hitting targets that are moving. I can see other tributes looking at her, showing fear over her display. I turn back towards Anabel and see her shaking her head at the two and a glance out of the corner of my eyes shows Caitlin is disgusted by their attitude. "I don't understand how anyone can want to fight like that."

I find myself agreeing with her and turn towards building my fire again, not understanding what I'm feeling towards Anabel. She's so young and unlike Ryoko, she clearly wants nothing to do with fighting and being part of the games. Yet I feel myself wanting to protect her because she's so innocent and doesn't deserve this. No, stop it Lance, you can't worry about this girl. There's nothing I can do about her if I want to live. Yet, there's already someone I want to protect in these games.

Still silent through this conversation is Caitlin, observing and watching us. How did I manage to get myself in this situation where I now have two people that I want to protect when I should be concerned with myself? What's happening with her is different and something I don't think I could control. But with Anabel, well, she already has someone who is protective over her. I turn back towards the girl from Four who is about to start the fire she built. "How do you know Ardos?"

Anabel lights the fire and smiles a little before she turns to me. "I've actually known him my whole life." I can hear Caitlin drop a stick in surely shock behind us and hope that Anabel doesn't notice. It doesn't seem like she does as she continues explaining. "He's my older brother's best friend. Actually, he might as well be my own brother."

I chuckle a little to myself before looking at her. She seems confused by why I'm laughing so I quickly explain myself. "It makes a lot of sense now why he's so protective of you."

Anabel rolls her eyes at this and I find myself genuinely smiling at her. "Yeah he can be a little annoying with that. But he cares so I deal with it."

"You're lucky to have someone like that here in the games," Caitlin speaks up and the two of us look over at her in shock. She starts blushing when we start paying attention to her and she starts fidgeting with the sticks she's using. "Not everyone has someone looking out for them in the games."

Anabel stares at her curiously for a few seconds and I start worrying a little about Caitlin for no reason. But Anabel nods her head at Caitlin and smiles a little. "Yes, you're right. And while he may annoy me at times, I will make sure to appreciate his help." This makes Caitlin smile a little before Anabel sighs and stands up. "Well I should get back to him. I'll see you at lunch, Lance."

I nod my head at her before turning back towards building my fire, trying to pretend that I'm focused on it and not Caitlin next to me. After a couple minutes pass, I glance over at her and notice she's trying to do the same thing.

"So how is training going?" Caitlin whispers to me, not daring to ask out loud if I was able to make the careers to believe I'm in their alliance.

I look around quickly to make sure that no one is close to our station before continuing to build my fire. "Yes, very well."

I glance up at her before she responds, just in time to see her smile a little. "I'm glad to hear that," she answers quietly. I watch her for a few seconds, appreciating her auburn hair being pulled back because it allows for me to see her hazel eyes clearly. Caitlin notices this, smiling slightly and blushing a little. "What?"

"Nothing," I say with a light shake of my head. Part of me wants to deny the feelings I have towards her because I know this can never work. But a bigger part of me realizes that this very well might be our last few days and I want to make the most of them. Caitlin is still staring at me and I shrug my shoulders at her and turn back to my fire that's almost done. Damn, that means I'll have to move back to the weapons soon. "I was admiring how beautiful you are," I whisper so quietly that she probably can barely hear me.

But she does hear me and I watch her discreetly as I add the last few sticks to my fire. I can see her face turning red and she keeps trying to set up sticks but dropping them. "Lance, we can't talk like this here," she finally responds before looking around to verify that no one is close enough to hear our conversation. "You've already been here for too long. The others will start to wonder."

I start striking the flint to try and light my fire as I think about how to respond. She's right about me needing to move to a different station but I wish I could stay with her for the rest of the day. "Then I'll find some way for us to meet in secret later." I notice her raising an eyebrow at this, not believing that we can get away with that. And I'll admit, I have no idea if we're even allowed to do that. "But for now, you need to keep training. Have you practiced any weapons?"

"No," she responds begrudgingly and I almost smile a little at how she is just like me when it comes to the weapons.

"You need to," I say as I continue trying to start my fire. Using flint is turning out to not be as easy as I thought it would be. Caitlin scoffs at me and I chuckle a little at her reaction. "Trust me, I don't like it either. But it's necessary. Why don't you practice with axes? Doesn't everyone from Seven know how to use them?"

Caitlin laughs lightly at this as she picks up some flint while I'm starting to get some sparks for my fire. "Not exactly. The shopkeepers don't know how to use them," she answers before concentrating on starting her fire for a few seconds. "But I will try. And you need to focus on making the careers think you're one of them."

"Sounds like a plan," I say as I finally get the kindling to catch fire and sit back and watch proudly as the wood starts being consumed by fire. I turn to her as she starts her fire a lot faster than I did mine. "I'll try to talk to you again after lunch. Can't let them get too suspicious."

She smiles at me as I stand up, preparing to head back to the swords to try practicing them again. "I'm looking forward to it," Caitlin whispers and I smile at her before heading back towards the swords. I try to avoid looking at the others in my alliance but I can tell they're all still practicing and haven't really noticed me talking to Caitlin.

I'm smirking as I let the trainer hand me a different sword, this time a two-handed blade. This plan will work out perfectly.

* * *

As I sit down next to Glacia at lunch, I try to ignore Ryoko being excited about her performance with the spears as he sits across from her. I didn't need another reminder that I was one of the least prepared in this group of ours, regardless that I plan on leaving it. My plan won't exactly work if they decide I'm a liability early on. "Glacia you were so awesome at those spears!"

I'm scowling as Ardos agrees with him and take a bite of my sandwich angrily. Although, this sandwich is so fancy that I wouldn't call it a sandwich based on my past experiences. Looking past the group at our table, I make eye contact with Caitlin as Ardos talks about Lorelei being skilled with her bow. Caitlin gives me a small encouraging smile, trying to convince me that it will be worth it to keep this up.

I sigh a little but try to pretend that I'm paying attention to the others. "Useful weapon skill to have," I halfheartedly say, trying not to sound too disappointed that she's better than me. I really did try with the swords after talking to Caitlin, proving to be a little better with a two-handed blade. But it's so hard for me to really get into it when I keep imaging a real person being there instead of a dummy.

It doesn't help either that Glacia proved just how much training she had with the spears. Most of the tributes are now afraid of her, making her more likely to win the favor of the Gamemakers. Of course, this also makes her a bigger threat in the arena so hopefully the others in this alliance will try to get rid of her before I have to.

Ryoko continues talking to Glacia about spears and I tune them out, thinking more about how to make this plan work. I doubt I'll have an opportunity to leave in the first day or two without taking the risk of one of them fighting me. But that means Caitlin will be on her own for a couple days. I turn my attention back to her where she's talking a little to her district partner. It looks mostly like they're talking just because they don't have anyone else to sit with. In fact, I didn't see him train with her at all today. No, they won't end up being allies. That means she needs to find someone else to be with until I can find her.

Glacia is talking about the usefulness of spears as I try looking around at the other tributes discreetly. Already there are some other alliances forming. Most of the tributes are sitting by themselves or with their district partner, like the pair from Eleven. But then there's the boy from Five sitting with the girl from Nine. If I'm remembering right, both of them are the same age as me. And based on their appearances, they look like they could potentially pose a threat. Two of the youngest tributes, the boys from Three and Six, seem to have formed a bond from their similarity in age and are sitting together, looking scared but happy to have the other there. And then there's the girl from Three, looking over at Caitlin as if she wants to talk to her. Yes, there's an ally for her.

My attention is brought back to the table I'm sitting at by a surprising comment from Anabel. "I don't really like the tridents," she says quietly from the other side of the table. I can see the look of surprise on Lorelei's face across from me as we all process that the girl from Four just said she doesn't like using the weapon their district is known for.

We're all quiet for a few seconds and while I can't see Ardos' face, I'm sure he's not too happy about this. It's Glacia that finally speaks up. "Hey Ryoko," she says and the boy's face lights up at having her attention. It's almost as if he looks up to her in a weird and twisted way. "Why don't you show Anabel how to use some knives after lunch? I think they'll suit her well."

"Of course!" Ryoko responds immediately and I put my elbow on the table and lean against it so I can look down the table at the others. I'm left wondering what Glacia's motivation is as Ryoko leans across the table towards Anabel, looking thrilled about the plan. "Oh you'll love using knives!"

Glacia is looking genuinely happy about this and my narrow my eyes a bit, questioning if that emotion from her is real. It's possible she might have created this plan just so that she can make sure the others in her alliance all have skills with weapons. She did give me a good push towards practicing swords earlier. But maybe she doesn't want people to know but she does actually like the younger ones in our group.

"I would like that," Anabel responds and I can see her give a tentative smile at Ryoko. After talking to her earlier, I know that this might be the best way for her to train since she isn't a fan of fighting.

"I'll come with you," Ardos says immediately, not surprising me at all. What does surprise me a little is the glare he throws in Glacia's direction at the suggestion of her learning with someone else. Does he not realize that he's being overbearing of Anabel?

Anabel holds up a hand and Ardos starts frowning at her. "That's really not necessary," she says and I can only wonder what Ardos is thinking since his back is towards me as he talks to Anabel. But I can see on her face that she isn't angry at him. "I know you want to go train without having to babysit me. I can see it in your eyes as you watch Glacia and Lorelei." Those two glance over at each other and I can see surprise on their faces over this statement. Even I'm a little shocked but then again, I haven't been paying attention to him enough to notice him wanting to train with them. "I don't know what promise you made to yourself but I can protect myself. But I can't learn when you hover and barely let me touch anything."

I start smiling a little at Anabel standing up for herself as Ardos crosses his arms at her. She seems to become aware of her outburst and looks a little surprised at herself but determined to have Ardos listen to her. He finally speaks up, "I guess I can't baby you forever. But I can't help it when I've known you since you were still in diapers," he starts chuckling and nudges her as she starts blushing in embarrassment over his comment. But I can see her starting to smile at the boy who is like a brother to her.

Seeing these two acting so friendly with each other has once again made me angry about the games and I turn away from them, looking ahead. It's not fair that these games are going to break apart the close bond those two have and in the worst way possible. One of them will probably watch the other die and I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

I can see from the corner of my eye Glacia cross her arms and turn her attention towards me. I realize then that I'm looking in the direction of Caitlin on accident and turn my gaze to my sandwich, not wanting Glacia to be suspicious about the two of us. But I know she must be up to something, especially when she speaks up. "Lance, you should try out the knives too. I know you don't really have training and the swords weren't going too well for you earlier."

I start scowling at this immediately and turn towards her, wanting to punch her for once again pointing out my lack of training in front of the others. And she did it in such a casual and demeaning way. But I force myself to smile at her and pretend that I don't hate her so I can make the others think we're good allies. "What a great idea, Glacia," I say and can see her start smirking at me as I turn towards Ryoko. I don't know who is worse: Glacia wanting me to look bad or Ryoko being so excited about the thought of having another person to train with. But Glacia trying to make me seem like the weak link has just made me realize that I need to try harder with this group to fit in if I'm to make it away from them. And the easiest person to get to accept me is Ryoko. "So kid, I think I can beat you."

Ryoko scoffs at me, both of us knowing I have no skills with knives. I saw him a little earlier and I know he has had some previous training with it. But all that matters is that he accepts the bit of a challenge. Even Anabel laughs a little at the thought of me beating Ryoko and hearing her laugh makes me smile a little. It's nice to pretend for a few seconds that we're not preparing for a fight to the death and just making jokes with each other. Ryoko leans back in his chair confidently as he looks at me amused. "Yeah right, I've been training with them for a year now. No way you'll beat me!"

He's absolutely right about this but I want him to take the challenge against me. "Want to make it a bet then?" I suggest and I can see his face light up at the idea. Anabel at the end of the table even looks like she wants to be part of this. Good, I'm happy to see them being cheerful. Being afraid of what's to come once the games start is no way to spend these few days in the Capitol. And I don't know why these two younger tributes are having such an effect on me. I didn't know I could feel so protective about people. First Caitlin, then Anabel, and now I want to have fun with Ryoko. I thought the games were supposed to just be all terrible things but here I am having fun and making a bet with two others. "Winner get their pick of best knife in the Cornucopia."

"You're on!" Ryoko says cheerfully as the bell rings, telling us all that lunch is over. He's the first one to move, immediately running towards the knife station and eager to start our bet.

I get up and start following him, laughing a little about how badly I'm going to do at this bet. But if it gets Anabel to be more confident and have fun, it will be worth it. As I walk through the lunch tables, I smile over at Caitlin briefly, feeling the happiest I've been since my name was first picked in the Reaping. She returns the smile with an amused look on her face, clearly having overheard the conversation.

I can hear movement behind me as Anabel chases after us. "Wait for me, I want to be part of this bet!"

I turn around and smile at her as we approach the station where Ryoko is waiting for us. The trainer looks a little overwhelmed at the thought of us competing against each other. Well, time to see how terrible I am at throwing knives.

* * *

Well I wasn't absolutely terrible at the bet. And practicing with them while competing against the others made me not think about if the dummies were real people so I probably learned more in that time then I did all morning with the swords. Anabel also proved to be learning better without Ardos there so it was a successful afternoon for our alliance.

But I didn't get a chance to talk to Caitlin again since Ryoko was too excited about working with us and wouldn't let me leave. He did go to the swords with me for a bit and I learned some more but at that point, I was starting to get annoyed with him constantly talking about winning the bet. But Caitlin did practice at the axe station and the girl from Three was definitely watching her so hopefully I can get Caitlin to approach her tomorrow about being allies.

I sigh a little as the doors open on our floor and Glacia steps out first, smiling smugly as she walks over to the couch where Darach is sitting already. Roxanne walks over towards the elevator when she sees me and I try to ignore Glacia being proud about having a competition with Ardos and Lorelei, proving she was better than them. But not with everything. I did enjoy watching her do worse than Lorelei at the swords and axes. "I was successful with everything," she says as she settles down on the couch next to her mentor.

I try not to roll my eyes at her, a little curious what she was trying to accomplish today. But Roxanne has reached me, smiling as she leans close and whispers to me. "Come on, I know a place we can go talk in private." She waves for me to step back into the elevator as she presses the button to go up. I raise an eyebrow at this but follow her into the elevator, watching as she presses the button for what must be the rooftop. Once the doors are closed, she turns to me and gives an answer for my confusion. "I can't stand being around those two. Plus, no one really ventures up to the roof so it's a little private place for me to come to."

The doors open and as I step out, I'm overwhelmed by the scents of all of the flowers surrounding us. There are blossoms of every possible color surrounding us in what must be a greenhouse on top of the training center. The garden is so beautiful and I swear I hear the trickling of water in a fountain somewhere as I look around in awe. "Why is this place here?"

Roxanne is watching me look around and smiles lightly at me. "I'm not sure. My theory is they have it for the mentors to come to and relax. Most don't know about it being here and it's a shame. But they have never said anything against bringing tributes up here so I like to use it as a place to talk in private." She starts walking and I follow her around the plants, the sound of the fountain getting closer until we reach an opening and I see it, surrounded by benches. She sits down at one and pats the seat next to her for me. Once I'm sitting, she continues speaking, "Now tell me who it is that you want to ally with that is making you willing to join Glacia's alliance and then betray them?"

I turn to her shocked that she is aware of this and she raises an eyebrow, waiting for me to respond. Looking back at the fountain, I sigh at having to discuss my feelings towards Caitlin but know I have to trust my mentor with everything about the games. "Caitlin. The girl from Seven."

I wait for Roxanne to tell me that it's a waste of my time wanting to join Caitlin. But that's not the response I get after a minute. "What makes you want to join her?"

I shrug and try to put my feelings into words. "I don't know what it is about her. I'm overwhelmingly attracted to her and I don't understand why because I just met her. Yet I just want to get to know her."

Roxanne doesn't say anything and we sit in silence for a few minutes. I continue to stare at the garden around us, wondering how there is something so beautiful in the middle of preparing for the games. Roxanne sighs next to me and I glance over at her curiously. She smiles at me gently. "Love is always a strange thing." She shakes her head lightly, face deep in thought as she looks over at the fountain. "I might be able to get a message to her through her mentor. And don't give me that look," she says immediately as she notices me start scowling at the mention of the girl who won the games last year instead of my best friend.

I know I shouldn't act that way towards the person who might be able to help me out and try to push my feelings of resentment to the side and focus on right now. And my priority is making sure Caitlin stays alive until I can find her. "Can you ask the mentor to tell Caitlin to talk to the girl from Three about becoming allies? And that if I can't find time to talk to her in training to come to the rooftop late at night?"

Roxanne smiles at this and nods her head at me. "Of course I will. Hopefully Caitlin's mentor is aware of the plan and doesn't think I'm a weirdo when I go talk to her tomorrow."

I laugh at this before we sit in silence again, appreciating the garden. I find myself relaxing and not worrying about the games for a bit, happy that Roxanne can help me and Caitlin with our plan. After a few minutes of thinking about it, I start questioning why Roxanne is so willing to help me go against Glacia. "Hey Roxanne? Why are you not bothered at all about me wanting to be allies with Caitlin?"

Once again there's sadness in her eyes as she turns to me. "Because it reminds me so very much of my games," she answers and I wish I could recall her games. "But that's a story for another time. For now, we need to head back so you can get rested up for training tomorrow. You need to be prepared for taking on big threats when you leave the alliance."

I nod at her as we stand up and start making our way back towards the elevator. I'm glad that she showed me this place and will definitely come up here again. But for now, all I can think about is how I will defeat Glacia, the biggest threat in the games.

* * *

 **If you want more information about the stories, please go to my website at** **thefifthquarterquell . weebly .com** **! It is now updated through Chapter 4!**


	5. Training Day 2

**Welcome to the 125th Hunger Games!**

 **Just a few things before the story begins. A reminder that this is one story out of two that are taking place during the same time. So if you are reading this story first and plan on reading the other, you may want to read the same chapter from the other in order to avoid spoilers to the character.**

 **I will update the stories on the same day, that way once the games start you can choose which story to read first as there will be some spoilers about what might happen to the other character.**

 **I'll let you begin the story. As always, please review and let me know what you think, good or bad. Any comments are good comments.**

 **Let the Games begin!**

* * *

 **Chapter 5:**

A knock on my door has me pausing getting ready for the second day of training. Why would Roxanne be coming to talk to me again? We just talked after breakfast ended, but we didn't have much to say in front of Glacia and Darach. All she really told me was to continue training the way I was yesterday. Well maybe she wanted to come by now to say something about talking to Caitlin's mentor. I walk over and when I open the door, I know my face must show surprise at the person who is standing there. "Yes?"

Glacia looks a little uncomfortable to be standing there and I can't help but wonder what she has to say that would make her nervous to talk to me of all people. And it's an unusual emotion to see from her because normally she acts so confident and like she can take on anything. "Well, I figure we should go down together today so the others think we're good allies," she starts to say, not mentioning the fact that we both know we aren't really allies and never will be. It's probably best to just ignore that fact right now. But she looks like she has more to say so I wait, looking at her expectantly while really just wanting to finish getting ready so I can see Caitlin today. She finally sighs before continuing, "Lance, you know that you can't keep Anabel alive and also win, right?"

Yeah this was definitely not where I thought this conversation would go. And of course I realize this. Does she think I'm not aware that only one person can make it out of the games? "I know that," I say defensively and she crosses her arms at me. I sigh, partially at her but mostly because if I could have two people leave the games alive, Caitlin would be with me, not Anabel. "Look, I don' want to get in an argument with you right now," I continue and the shock on her face is almost funny. It's something I don't see from her often and catching her off guard is a little amusing. "I know, shocking," I add sarcastically before I can control myself. I try to continue speaking right away before she can start getting angry at me because I'm really not in the mood to argue this morning. "I realize that I can't protect her forever. I want to win these games just as much as you," I trail off and we're silent for a few seconds as I think about how what I just said could also apply to Caitlin. What am I doing that I keep wanting these other people to live?

"Then why are you so protective of her?" Glacia asks me curiously after a few seconds and I have to remind myself that we're talking about Anabel and not Caitlin.

A collection of different emotions pass through me as I try to figure out why I can't stop wanting to protect Caitlin at the risk of my own life. Anger is the first one I can really identify. Anger that we had to meet in this situation where there is no possible way for us to work out in the end. The anger is quickly replaced by confusion at how I feel towards Caitlin. How can I already have these crazy feelings towards her when we met only two days ago? And finally there's sadness at the thought of never being able to really get to know her or spend years together.

I finally shrug at Glacia, knowing I need to give her an answer that's related to Anabel and not Caitlin so we can continue avoiding an argument. It's almost nice being able to talk to Glacia without one of us getting angry at the other. I'm not sure when things started to change from the first day on the train. Maybe it's her that's changing from the games. "I don't know what it is about her," I begin, knowing there's a bit of double meaning when I talk about protecting people. But Glacia doesn't need to know that. "I think it's because she's so young and has barely had a chance to live." I start thinking about the other younger person in our alliance and start chuckling at how different it is with him. Glacia raises an eyebrow at me, silently waiting for me to explain my laughter. "You know, I don't feel this way about Ryoko at all and he's younger than Anabel. But I suppose it's because he wants to be here."

"Yeah but he's so annoying," Glacia says quickly and I smile a little at the comment that slipped out. It's a rare moment of her acting so differently from her normal self that acts in control of everything with the games. For a second I can almost see the girl who isn't consumed with the need to win the games.

But I let the moment pass and come back to the present. There's no point wanting Glacia to continue being this person because it won't happen. "That's true," I add a chuckle before becoming serious again as I'm reminded of why we're having this conversation. "But with Anabel, you don't have to worry about me dying for her." No point adding that there's another person who I might want to risk my life for. "Sure, I'll try to keep her safe in the games. But we both know she doesn't have it in her to win."

Glacia looks a little puzzled about this and I'm left wondering what she is confused about. "Then why be protective of her right now?"

Her puzzlement has me a little amused at her not getting what it is with these younger tributes. I shake my head lightly at her as she starts to look frustrated. "Haven't you ever had someone you wanted to protect?" I ask her and I can see on her face that she has a person in mind. My mind wanders back to District Two and thoughts of how my sister protected me for years. Who is this person that will make such a fierce and competitive person become vulnerable and protective? I'm a little disappointed when a few seconds pass and she hasn't answered me. Maybe I misjudged her and she doesn't have anyone she is trying to protect. "Is it wrong to make sure her last few days alive are enjoyable?"

Glacia stares up at me, a bizarre expression on her face. I have no clue what is going through her mind before she shrugs at me and turns to start walking towards the main room. "Be ready in a few minutes," she says harshly before walking away from me.

The sudden change in her attitude is shocking, especially since for a few moments ago it seemed as if she wasn't always a trained killing machine. I find myself muttering as I go back into my room, "You don't have to be as cold as your name." Once my door is closed, I shake my head and move back towards my bed where the rest of my outfit is waiting. I don't understand Glacia and how she can seem so indifferent about a young girl that's going to be dead within a few weeks. It's just part of the compassion that comes with being human.

Now if only I could stop feeling it so much when it can mean the end of my life. I can't afford to lose, not when Maylene worked so hard and risked her life to give me a better future.

I sigh before changing into the training shirt, knowing I need to put these thoughts aside and focus on training today. Last night I tossed and turned for a bit while I couldn't stop thinking about the games. And I realized that I have to start taking a new mindset to this training and make sure I'm learning as much as possible. The biggest challenge will be getting past the thought of taking someone's life and I need to do that today.

With that challenge for the day in my mind, I head out the door and get ready to spend a day of pretending in front of the others.

* * *

The others have all started walking towards the weapons stations but I know that this will be my one chance to talk to Caitlin. She's very slowly walking around, looking as if she's not sure where to start today. Or maybe she's looking for someone to join her.

Our eyes briefly meet as I start walking towards the weapons, making sure my path conveniently takes me right past her. The desire to look around at the others is overwhelming but I fight it, knowing that would make them suspicious. Caitlin pauses to look at the edible plants station and I slow down slightly as I walk past. I drop my voice, just hoping no one will hear. "The girl from Three."

I continue walking past, not letting myself stop to see her reaction. I just have to trust that she will be able to understand what I mean. I do look around to find the girl and feel a bit of satisfaction when I see her continue to glance over at Caitlin. My gut feeling about her wanting to be allies with Caitlin is definitely accurate. Now let's hope Caitlin can make it happen.

I'm smiling as I approach the maces, knowing that the next part of my plan is going to work itself out. Now to work on making sure I can stay alive to meet up with Caitlin. The trainer smiles as he hands me a weapon and it immediately feels off in my hands. "You're not supposed to hold maces with two hands," the trainer says immediately and I frown but listen to him, shifting the weapon to one hand.

"This doesn't feel right," I say as I try to give a swing but struggle against the weight of the weapon.

"That's how it's supposed to feel," the trainer responds and picks up another mace. He swings it with ease and the weapon lodges itself deep in the dummy. "Maces aren't meant for being fast. You use the weight to do your damage." I must look hesitant about this still as he gestures towards the dummies. "Give it a try. You'll see what I mean."

With hesitant steps, I go towards one of the dummies. I look down at the weapon in my hand and realize that I need to learn how to use this weapon. In only a couple days, this could mean the difference between life or death. And I want to choose life.

I take a swing towards the dummy, striking on the shoulder awkwardly. But I don't let myself become discouraged. Not today. So I yank the mace out of the dummy and give another swing, this time landing in the chest. It's not great but it's better than the first.

"Yes, just like that," the trainer encourages me and claps his hands. "Keep at it!"

His words are surprisingly helpful and I feel determination as I make another swing. With a strike to the head, I feel as if I'm starting to get the hang of it. Some loud thuds come from my right and I pause after a swing to see who is causing so much noise. It's from the spear location and Glacia looks filled with rage as she throws spears at the dummies aggressively. I ignore her anger and return to practicing. There is too little time in training to worry about what made her mad when I have skills to learn.

The trainer continues to encourage me as I practice for a while. Once the noise from Glacia has gone away, I allow myself a quick glance around. I see Caitlin practicing with the girl from Three at the axe station and this gives me new energy as I return to the training. Some time passes as I continue to practice but all the while there is a nagging feeling in the back of my head. I try to ignore it but can feel my mood starting to darken.

Finally, I allow myself to think about what is bothering me. It's in the moment that I embed the mace in the chest of a dummy that I realize it is shaped like a person. I take a step back from the dummy as I start imaging the crack of bones as the mace strikes someone's chest and blood pouring out as their life leaves their eyes.

Panic starts overwhelming me and I have to continue backing away from the station. The images keep changing to the different children here with me and I feel my stomach turning at the thought of taking someone's life away from them. I can't do this competition. There's no way I can win when it means I have to take someone's life, let only the 21 people who have to die for someone to win.

I need to get away from here before someone notices that I can't do this. That's a sure way to make people target me because they think I'm weak. It's true but they don't need to know that. I look around to find any station that I could go to, struggling to keep my face void of the inner turmoil I'm facing. That's when I spot what looks like it might become a fight and my mind is taken away from the thought of killing.

"What the hell," I mumble as I start walking quickly towards three of my allies facing off against the boy from Ten. Ardos looks like he might be ready to punch the boy in the face, Lorelei looks annoyed at someone, and Glacia looks absolutely terrifying. Is that how she's going to be in the games? Because if it is, I don't know how I will actually beat her.

I reach the station where my allies are all standing in defensive poses with their arms crossed. Looking around at them, I'm hesitant to say anything that might start a fight but I'm also angry that something was going down without me being there. Yeah I might be leaving the alliance early on but until that happens, any decisions they make are going to affect me. "What's going on?" I ask and glance back and forth between Glacia and the boy, knowing they are probably the main people in this argument. The boy looks very casual and not concerned at all that he's talking to most of the career alliance. Well, that's if you could even consider everyone but Glacia and Lorelei careers. And the look on Glacia's face is confusing and I have no idea what's going through her mind.

"Just offering myself to your alliance," the boy responds casually to me and I raise an eyebrow in shock at this. A few trainers start approaching and he takes a few steps back from us. He locks his gaze on all of us momentarily, ending on Glacia and I watch her straighten up and it almost looks as if she's flexing her muscles to show how tough she is. "You can give me your answer tomorrow. Hopefully you'll choose the right one."

"I'll consider it," Glacia responds coolly as he turns and walks away from us. The trainers start to move away too now that the instigator of a fight is gone. We all watch him walk away from us and once he's a few stations away from us, I look over at my allies expectantly.

Ardos is the first one to speak out about this boy's offer. "Absolutely not." I stare at him curiously when I can see contempt on Ardos' face. Clearly I missed something that made him not like the boy from Ten. "I don't like that guy."

Lorelei shrugs at Ardos, "It might not be the worst idea," she says before turning her attention towards Glacia. The look they give each other makes it clear that they're both thinking about the benefit he could give our alliance.

And he would. I've seen him during training and while he might not be skilled like Glacia, he is strong and larger than most of the tributes. And it's obvious that our alliance is not as strong as it could be. No one needs to mention it but I know I'm a weak link. It probably wouldn't take long before they killed me off in the games. But who's to say that the boy wouldn't do that to us? We don't know him at all and he doesn't feel any sort of District loyalty to this alliance or whatever it is that makes us want to be in an alliance of six people.

I notice Glacia is looking at me expectantly and I realize she's probably waiting for me to give my answer. It's a little surprising that she actually wants an answer from me since we both know I'm not really part of this alliance. But how can I give an answer about something when I don't know how long I'll even be in this alliance? "I don't know," I finally answer after what feels like a while of her scrutiny. "There are pros and cons to it."

"Glacia," Ardos says before she can respond to me. Her attention is turned towards him and I look at him, noticing almost a desperation on his face as it looks as if he is ready to beg Glacia not to listen to Lorelei. "Please tell me you're not really considering adding him to our group."

"And why shouldn't she be considering it?" Lorelei counters him before Glacia even has time to answer. I watch her face as she looks between our two allies and feel happy that she is also a little surprised at the hostility between them. "It would be dumb not to see the benefits that he could bring to our alliance."

I can see on Glacia's face that she feels like she's losing control of the alliance and while I don't like her, I need her in charge so that I can stay in the alliance. I'm sure the others would reject me immediately if it wasn't for her. And this argument is not doing any benefit to the opinion the other tributes have of us. One quick glance around shows that most of them are watching us in addition to some of the Gamemakers. So I speak up, a little louder than I intended as I try to keep this alliance from exploding. "Why don't we let Glacia actually speak and tell us what she's thinking?" This gets the two to pause from getting ready to argue and look at me in surprised. Glacia also has a look of shock on her face and even I'm a little surprised that I spoke up in support of Glacia. Her shock turns to what seems to be distrust and I know she's trying to analyze my motives behind my outburst.

As the others turn their attention to Glacia, she removes the emotions from her face. It's clear she's thinking the decision through and I can't blame her. One way or the other, the choice she makes will offend one of the people. "What I think," she finally begins and pauses briefly. I see a flash of uncertainty on her face and wonder if the others have seen it. "Is that we should talk to our mentors about this before making any rash decisions. And then we come back tomorrow and vote as a group for if we add him or not." Glacia takes a small moment to look at the other two in the eyes and make sure they are listening to her before continuing. "The decision to add someone to an alliance needs to involve everyone and if you haven't noticed, we are missing two people right now."

I glance around before spotting the other two behind Glacia. They're laughing as they learn how to use the spears, the instructor looking a little tired from training the two younger tributes that seem to have a lot of energy. I almost start smiling at them before the reality of this situation hits me and I think about the death that will happen in a few days.

I turn back as Ardos is begrudgingly admitting that Glacia is right. He doesn't look very happy that Glacia didn't say no to the boy joining us right away. "I suppose you're right."

Lorelei shrugs as she crosses her arms, giving Ardos side eye about his opinion on this situation. "Well I know my opinion is not going to change about this."

"And that's fine," Glacia quickly responds, probably realizing like I am how fragile this alliance is. If we keep this up, the alliance will be done before the first day ends. She sighs as she runs a hand over her head and I can see that this day is exhausting her. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to let this alliance fall apart so soon. Then I could join Caitlin right from the start. "But I still think this is something to think about overnight and not be rash about."

She stares at the two of them, waiting to see if they say something in protest against her. A small part of me hopes they will but after a few seconds pass, I realize they are going to listen to her. As the silence starts to become awkward, I speak up to try to get everyone's thoughts away from this boy. "So now what do we do?"

A gong rings out as if in answer to my question and the timing is almost eerie. But Glacia lets out a chuckle and I can see her shoulders start to relax at what the gong means. "Now we go eat lunch."

She takes off first as other tributes start to make their way over towards the lunch room. Anabel and Ryoko run over to us and start talking excitedly to anyone who will listen to them. Lorelei is keeping a distance from Ardos and I find myself falling into step with him. My curiosity at the situation starts to win over and I lean closer to him to talk quietly. "So why do you not like him so much?"

"Cyrus?" Ardos looks up at me confused and I realize that must be the boy's name. He turns his attention back to where we're walking and I can see a look of disgust on his face as he shakes his head. "He's too cocky. Well, so is Glacia but she has the training to back it up. And he also made a comment implying Anabel and Ryoko will be dead on the first day."

"Well screw him, I don't want him in our alliance," I say quickly before I can think about what I just said to Ardos. As he gives me a weird look, I know I slipped and made him aware that I feel protective towards the two younger tributes. He's silent for a minute as we wait for the others to file through the small doorway into the room and I start to think that he's judging me as a weak link.

But then he starts to smile a small amount and he turns to look up at me. "You know, I like you Lance. You're a good guy."

His comment makes me smile as we enter the lunch room and start going towards the buffet. But as I look around at the others, I start wondering if being a good guy will end up getting me killed.

* * *

"Hey Lance, can you come here?" I hear Roxanne say as soon as I step off the elevator. I almost start scowling in annoyance because I'm tired and want to just take a shower but she is smiling excitedly at me and waving from over by the windows. So I let out a sigh and head over to her, knowing I'll be able to shower soon.

As soon as I get close she pats a chair next to her. I sit down and look out the window at the chaos happening in the city below us. There are celebrations happening even this early in the evening and I start wondering if they ever stop. "What's up?"

I glance over as Roxanne leans closer to me, a mischievous grin on her face. "I hope you're not planning on going to sleep early tonight."

I start smiling as I understand her words. "You talked to her mentor?" I whisper excitedly, looking over my shoulder to check that Glacia had gone to her room. Darach is also nowhere in sight as I turn back to Roxanne. "What did she say?"

"Well we talked for a while and let me tell you, whatever you think about her for winning over your friend just isn't true," she pauses and tsks at me as I start scowling. "Don't give me that look. You know she wasn't the one who killed Brycen. And she's a delightful and cheerful girl who hasn't let the games ruin her, despite her brother dying to protect her."

This information isn't new to me as I watched the games with great interest last year. I don't like her for winning but a small part of me is happy that Caitlin has someone as a mentor that will be able to put attention on her. "Well what did she say?"

Roxanne leans back in her chair, friendly smile on her face as she leans her head on her hand. "She said that she was glad to see you really are interested in being allies with Caitlin. She was worried when Caitlin told her she was going to come up with a crazy plan with the boy from Two," she pauses to chuckle, looking as if she's laughing at something from her conversation earlier. "I'll admit, it definitely seems a little weird. Oh just wait until the sponsors see this happen, they will love seeing this alliance switch up!"

I laugh at her excitement and try to bring her back to the conversation. "So is she going to tell her about the rooftop?"

"Yes, of course," Roxanne says and waves her hand at me as if that should have been obvious. "Now it's just up to her to meet you there."

"Thank you, Roxanne," I say with a smile, placing my hand over hers. "You've been helping out a lot and I don't know how I would get through this experience without you."

"It's my pleasure to help out, Lance," Roxanne smiles at me before I move my hand. "You know, I don't really mentor that often but I'm glad I didn't let Lysander mentor you."

"Well wouldn't he have been a good mentor for me?" I ask her, confused about this new information. "He already knows me and he was my sister's mentor."

"And that's exactly why I made him stay in District Two," Roxanne responds and when I still look at her confused, she shakes her head lightly at me and sighs. "Lance, do you remember what it was like to watch your sister compete in the games?"

I start frowning as the memories start of my sister fighting to the death and being betrayed by her allies. I usually block them out because I know my sister is safe now and there's no point relieving the time she was in danger. "Of course I remember."

Roxanne gives me a look to tone back my anger towards her before she continues. "Then you know what it's like to watch a loved one fighting in the games. I'm sure you had Brycen with you to watch the games. Your sister needs someone there with her, regardless of the outcome, and Lysander is the best person for that."

As I turn to stare out the windows again, I know that she is absolutely right about this. I couldn't imagine watching the games without someone there to support me. And with me here in the Capitol, Maylene doesn't have any family with her. Lysander is the closest person she has to family as they had trained together for years and he saved her life in the games. I didn't think about who would be with my sister but now that Roxanne told me, there's no one else I would want with her other than Lysander. "Thank you," I say quietly, feeling unsettled at the thought of Maylene possibly watching me die. I can't let that happen.

"It's what victors do for each other. We're a family and will always look out for each other," Roxanne replies comfortingly. She pats her hands on her legs and I look over at her confused at the change in her mood. "Now enough of this sad stuff. Tell me how training went."

This is a welcome distraction from the thought of my sister and I answer right away, still careful to keep my voice down in case someone else is nearby. "Well I got Caitlin to become allies with the girl from Three. And then after lunch, they started talking to the girl from I believe Ten."

"That's good," Roxanne says with a nod of her head. "It's not good to be alone in the arena. And this means she has a better chance of staying safe before you can find her."

"Exactly why I told her to get other allies," I agree with her and hope that she is right and Caitlin will stay safe until I can find her. "And speaking of allies we had Cyrus from Ten ask to join us."

"Isn't he the 18-year-old?" Roxanne asks skeptically. "He looked strong but who knows. What are you going to do?"

"We're going to vote tomorrow," I saw with a shrug and roll my eyes a little. "Glacia's suggestion. I don't know what to say though."

Roxanne stares at me for a minute, looking deep in thought. "Is that because you know you won't be in the alliance for long?"

"That and I don't know if we could trust him," I shrug again at her. "Yeah he might prove useful but he could just as easily stab us in the back."

Roxanne turns to look out the window and I watch her, waiting for her to give an answer. I don't really know what to say about Cyrus and could really use her opinion. Finally she turns back to me, a concerned look on her face. "I say listen to what your gut is telling you to do. Think it over tonight and then go with what you feel is the right choice. And if you really want to know what I would do in your situation, I would say no."

I smile at her answer as I stand up, knowing that's what I'm leaning towards right now. But I still want to talk about it with Caitlin later. "Thank you, Roxanne. But now, I'm going to go shower and take a nap because I'm tired from training."

"Good, I didn't want to say anything but you are a little smelly," she jokes and we both laugh before she smiles at me. "And anytime you need to talk I'm here. That's my job as your mentor."

I'm smiling at her comment as I start walking towards my room, happy that I have someone here with me to help me through the games. But then I also start getting excited at the thought of being able to talk with Caitlin tonight without the fear of someone overhearing.

* * *

As midnight approaches, I find myself pacing my room, anxious about this meeting. Part of me is worried that someone on the floor will be awake when I leave and will question my whereabouts. But I know everyone went it their rooms a while ago and I can hear Darach snoring from inside my room. I pause to look at the window down at the crowd below that has not died down at all. If anything, there are more people celebrating tonight. I feel some disgust towards their celebration of death before I glance at the clock and see it's ten minutes until midnight.

It's time to head up to the roof and I quietly leave my room, cringing slightly as the door makes a small noise. I wait a couple seconds before moving to the living room, feeling confident that everyone else is still asleep. As I reach the corner of the hallway, I pause to peer around the corner, just in case anyone is not in their room. But the room is vacant and I quickly walk over to the elevator. I push the button and can hear the elevator moving down and I find myself starting to pace anxiously. When the door opens, I glance around one last time to make sure no one is around before stepping on and pushing the button for the roof.

As the doors shut I let out a sigh of relief that I made it off the floor without anyone questioning my actions. Everything is going to plan and now, I just have to enjoy my time with Caitlin. The elevator opens on the roof and I take in a deep breath as I step out, enjoying the scent of the flowers. The garden looks completely different at night and I'm pretty sure there are some flowers here that only bloom at night. I start walking among the flowers, feeling relaxed up on the rooftop. I pause and close my eyes, taking in all the scents and the sound of the fountain nearby and the crowds below.

I get so absorbed in my surroundings that I don't notice the elevator has moved until the doors open again. Turning around I see Caitlin step out and look around in awe. The moonlight is shining down on her, turning her hair a coppery color and I'm left awestruck at her beauty. "It's so beautiful up here," she breaths out as she continues looking around at the flowers. She reaches out and almost touches a pink rose before she sees me and pauses, smiling and blushing a little. "I'm sorry, I just didn't expect this when I was told to go to the roof."

"Don't apologize for finding beauty in the games," I respond as I approach her. The hint of pink is still on her cheeks as I reach out and take the hand that was ready to grab the rose. Her blush deepens and I find my heart beat quickening as I look at her. Now that there are no others around and I can really look at her, I'm completely mesmerized. "I know I have found a beauty in the games."

"Stop it," she jokingly responds but I can feel her hold my hand a little tighter as she smiles at me. As I look at her, I try to understand why I'm feeling this way inside but I have no explanation. I've never felt so attracted to someone like this, especially when I barely know them. "Why are you just staring at me?" Caitlin asks, a smile still on her face as she teases me.

"Because I think you're beautiful and I don't understand how I can feel this way towards you already," I answer honestly before shrugging at her. I start to walk backwards and pull her with me, smiling at the feeling of her hand in mine. "Come on, let's go explore this garden."

Caitlin falls into step next to me as I turn around and start walking slowly among the flowers. "Is that a fountain I hear?"

"I think so," I answer her as I turn to walk closer to where the sound is coming from. As we turn the corner around a trellis of flowers, we stop in our tracks as we catch sight of an elaborate fountain filled with stone cherubs. It must at least ten feet tall and is shining in the moonlight. "Wow. I didn't expect that."

"Neither did I," Caitlin says, sounding awestruck once again. I turn to look at her and can see her looking excitedly at me. "Let's go sit by it," she says and starts running over, pulling me along behind her.

I start laughing at her mood and let her pull me over towards the fountain. She sits down on the edge and pats the spot next to her and I join her. She rests her head on my shoulder and I put an arm around her waist to pull her closer. She sighs a little in contentment and I feel truly relaxed for the first time in days. "So since we finally have time together with no one else around, tell me about yourself."

Caitlin is silent for a few seconds before speaking up. "What do you want to know?"

"Anything," I answer immediately. "Your favorite color, your family, life in District Seven. I just want to know more about you."

She laughs lightly as she moves closer to me. "Well I really like the color green. It's everywhere in Seven and that's why I like it so much up here. It reminds me of home." Caitlin pauses for a minute and we sit in silence, listening to the fountain behind us. "And as for my family, it's just me and my parents. They work in the forest and put in extra hours because they want to save up money so I can do something other than work in the forest. But I don't know what I would have wanted to do. I suppose it doesn't matter anymore."

"Don't stay that," I respond to her immediately. "There is always a chance that you can win these games," I tell her, suddenly wondering when I started wanting her to have a good chance to win over myself. But then I start thinking about watching her die and I know I don't want to see it happen.

We're both silent for a few minutes, the reality of the games weighing on our minds. Caitlin moves her head to look up and me and I turn and smile at her. "Well what about you, Lance? Tell me about your family."

I chuckle a little at her question, feeling as if most people already know my life. "Everyone already knows about my family. My sister won the games and had all the skeletons in our closet get paraded in front of Panem."

"I don't care what the Capitol showed us," Caitlin responds immediately. She moves her head back so that she can look at me and I notice the green in her eyes that is hard to see with the brown from a distance. "Tell me yourself about your sister. And what was it like when you were watching her games?"

As I look at her, I get distracted from thinking about the question for a few seconds. Finally, I shrug my shoulders before telling her about my past. "Well, Maylene was always trying to protect me. Our mother died shortly after I was born and after that, our father turned to alcohol. He became abusive and Maylene saw winning the games as a way to get us out of that house. And it did." I pause to think about watching my sister's games, reminded of my conversation with Roxanne earlier today. "As for the actual games, well, it was terrible watching my sister face death every day. I was constantly afraid that I would never see her again."

"That sounds terrible," Caitlin says quietly as she frowns at me. "But everything worked out in the end, right? You no longer live with your father?"

"Yeah I haven't seen him in years," I answer before pulling her closer to me again, wanting to feel the comfort that came with being near her. My mind still wonders a bit about my father and if he is even still alive at this point or knows that I'm going to the games. Probably not but it doesn't matter. All that matters right now is focusing on the games. Yet I don't know right now who I want to see win. I try to move my attention off of who will win and on getting to that point. "So I take it things went well with the girl from Three?"

"Phoebe," Caitlin says to me and I raise an eyebrow at her sounding a little defensive. "Her name is Phoebe. I hate when people refer to us as just a girl or boy from a district. It just reminds me that in a couple months, no one will remember the names of the 21 people who die each year in the games."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know her name," I defend myself, knowing she didn't mean to come off that way but still feeling the need to mention it. I run a hand over her hair and can feel her relax against me. "So you and Phoebe are allies?"

"Yes," she replies and I can hear in her voice that she's happy about this situation. "She was definitely interested in being allies so when I approached her this morning, she was so happy! And then after lunch Phoebe noticed that Lyra was alone and watching us so we invited her too."

I'm smiling at how this plan is working out great as I continue, mindful of her new allies' names. "And where is Lyra from?"

"Eleven but not that it really matters," Caitlin pauses and takes a deep breath, almost as if she's calming down her excitement. I start wondering if she's becoming too close to the others but I don't have time to ask before she continues. "So what is our plan for once the games start?"

I stare out at the garden around us as I try to figure out the answer to her question. "Well, first thing to do is make sure you, Phoebe, and Lyra all make it away from the cornucopia unharmed. Maybe I can try to help you get supplies but it's more important that you're safe and away from Glacia."

"Does she know about me?" Caitlin asks curiously and I can understand her concern towards my district partner.

"I think she's suspicious that there's something going on," I take a short break and think briefly about Glacia's actions. I recall her anger this morning in training and I suspect she saw me whisper to Caitlin. "But the others don't know about you. Glacia wouldn't risk telling them and having them not trust the alliance."

Caitlin laughs a little at this. "And they trust you?"

"If they're smart they don't trust me," I respond lightheartedly before becoming serious again as I think about the people I'll have to betray. "I'm almost positive Lorelei doesn't want me in the alliance. It's tough to say what Ardos thinks about me. But anyways, back to the plan." I can feel Caitlin nod her head in agreement as I collect my thoughts. "I'll go along with the alliance until I get the opportunity to leave them without risking my life too much. I shouldn't be with them for more than a day or two and then I will come find you."

"How are you going to find me in the arena? It will probably be huge," Caitlin says doubtfully and I can understand her hesitation. I've also been wondering the same thing.

"Well find somewhere safe and then stay there until I can find you," I say but both of us know this isn't a very good plan.

We're silent for a minute as we think about how we can find each other in the arena. Caitlin is the first one to speak up, "There's a symbol we use at home on the trees to signal the path back to safety if we're venturing deep into the woods. I could show you that and I can use it in the arena to discretely place hints about where I am."

I lean back a little to grin at her. "Caitlin, you are a genius." I pull her back close to me, feeling better about the situation now that we have some way of finding each other, even if it's not perfect. "So we'll use that symbol. Place it around my eye level so that others won't necessarily notice it. Most of the tributes are shorter to me."

"And how am I supposed to reach that high up?" she teases me and I realize that my plan won't work since she's considerably shorter than me. "How about near the ground? I doubt most tributes will be looking there and if they do see it, it won't mean anything to anyone other than Riley."

"Sounds like a plan," I answer before sighing in contentment at having her close to me. "So depending on the arena, you should go to the forest. And I'm just assuming that there will be forests because it's not exciting watching tributes freeze and making a fire is a big temptation."

"I feel safe in the forest so I hope they have one in the arena," Caitlin replies quietly before falling silent for a minute. "Hey Lance? What if something happens before you leave?"

"I won't let that happen. I'll find you in the games," I whisper assuredly, wrapping my other arm around her to pull her close as I feel her start shaking in fear of the games. And I'll admit, I'm also afraid of what's going to happen once the games start. So many different scenarios could happen and I don't like not being in control of it. But my main concern is making sure Caitlin is safe until I can find her. I sigh aloud at this, almost unhappy about the complications arising from wanting to protect Caitlin in the games instead of just fighting for myself like I thought I would. But I don't regret meeting her, just the circumstances. "Why did we have to meet here?"

"I don't know," Caitlin says quietly and shakes her head lightly. "It's terrible. I want to be able to spend time with you but in the back of my head I know this won't last forever. And I hate it."

"Me too," I whisper before kissing the top of her head. "I just want to freeze this moment in time and stay here forever."

Caitlin picks her head up to look at me and puts a hand against my face. The place where she's touching me feels electric and I get caught up in her eyes. "Then let's just pretend for a few minutes that the games aren't happening. Pretend that we didn't meet here in the Capitol and we met in Two or Seven or anywhere else."

"How?" I whisper to her, barely noticing the sounds around us as I stare at her face that is only a small distance from mine. But she doesn't answer me and instead closes the small distance between our lips. When our lips meet, I can feel electricity between us and it's nothing I've ever felt before when kissing someone. As I pull her closer to me, I question how I could have every been happy before with someone other than Caitlin because this feels so right.

After a few seconds, Caitlin pulls away slightly and the feeling fades in intensity but is still there. But as I come back to reality and realize where we are, I feel my mood come crashing down. There's no way to make this work out in the end so that we can both live. The Capitol won't make the mistake again of letting two people win because of romance. How can I win after feeling like this and being aware of what I'll be missing?

"Lance, don't you dare start thinking those things right now," Caitlin demands as she puts both hands on my face and forces me to look at her. "I know what you're thinking and trust me, it's going through my mind too. But don't let it ruin this moment. Live in the now and just for a few more days, don't worry about what the future has in store for us."

"It's impossible not to worry about it," I whisper to her, desperate to be anywhere other than hear. "The games are terrible and at least one of us is going to die in the next few weeks."

"I know, Lance," Caitlin hugs me tightly as I start questioning if I even have what it takes to win the games. "If there's one good thing to happen out of the games, it's that we got to meet each other. Focus on that."

I let out a shaky breath as I press my face against her hair, focusing on what she just said. And she's right, if I had never been picked for the games, I would have never met her. Sure, I wouldn't be facing my possible death but I might have never found someone who can make me feel such intense emotions towards them. We stay like this in silence for a while and I can feel myself calming down around her. "Whatever happens in the games," I finally say after I can block out the panic at dying in the games, "We will get through it together."

"We will," Caitlin says quietly as I hold her in this garden, a hidden treasure in the games. I know in my heart that whatever happens in the next few days, I'll get through it because of this girl. And I will fight to make sure one of us ends up winning these games.

* * *

 **If you want more information about the stories, please go to my website at** **thefifthquarterquell . weebly .com** **! It is now updated through Chapter 5!**

 **Also, go check out the story Make Me a Match by goldie031! I have two tributes submitted and there are still openings and you should submit a tribute to help the story get going!**


	6. Training Day 3

**Welcome to the 125th Hunger Games!**

 **Just a few things before the story begins. A reminder that this is one story out of two that are taking place during the same time. So if you are reading this story first and plan on reading the other, you may want to read the same chapter from the other in order to avoid spoilers to the character.**

 **I will update the stories on the same day, that way once the games start you can choose which story to read first as there will be some spoilers about what might happen to the other character.**

 **I'll let you begin the story. As always, please review and let me know what you think, good or bad. Any comments are good comments.**

 **Let the Games begin!**

* * *

 **Chapter 6:**

Stepping out of the elevator, I fight to hold back a yawn. Ardos and Anabel start walking towards me and Glacia as I slowly make my way through the room. Maybe staying up so late wasn't the best idea when I have to train all day. But hell, was it worth it to spend time alone with Caitlin.

I can feel a faint smile on my face as Ardos looks skeptically at Glacia. "You seem awfully cheerful today," he looks over at me as the yawn I had been trying to hold in finally gets out. He raises an eyebrow at this, "And so are you. You both look exhausted, but definitely in good moods."

Glacia starts laughing lightheartedly at this and I start questioning just what changed last night to make her mood so different. Yesterday she was definitely unsure about the games. But now? She's acting like she did when she was just picked for the games. I watch her smile at Ardos and cross her arms, back to playing the role of a fully trained career. "Well look at how much training I did yesterday. Of course I'm a little tired." She pauses for a couple seconds and I notice the faint dark circles under her eyes. "And as for the good mood, well, last night proved to be a good night," she starts smirking and when she casts a glance in my direction, my stomach starts forming knots. Does she know I went to meet Caitlin? But how would she even know where I went?

Ardos is still looking at us skeptically, mostly Glacia, and I can't blame the guy. If him and Anabel had showed up both looking tired but in a good mood during training I would assume they were plotting against us. Before he can say anything else to us, Anabel glances behind us and starts smiling. "Oh here comes Ryoko and Lorelei!"

As Glacia and I both turn to look at the elevator, I know that Ryoko was the one who made Anabel so much happier. I watch the pair from One walk over, Lorelei looking confident like always and Ryoko happy to be there. I chuckle a little as he accidentally pushes the girl from Five in his hurry to get over to a now laughing Anabel. As he starts talking excitedly to the small girl, I feel some sadness knowing that Ryoko and Anabel don't deserve to be in these games. But I also feel some happiness that they at least found someone in these games to become friends with. No one should spend their last days alone.

After a few seconds, Lorelei clears her throat and I look over at her. She's waiting expectantly with an eyebrow raised at all of us. I start wondering what she is waiting to say as she looks around at all of us to make sure she has our attention. "Well since we're all here we should get this vote over with, especially since he isn't here yet." She falls silent and I'm briefly confused what she's talking about before I remember that we have to figure out what to do about Cyrus. So much has happened since training yesterday that I forgot about him. No one speaks up and Lorelei decides to start this whole thing. "I say we should add him."

"I'm with Lorelei," Ryoko says immediately and I can tell he's still trying to impress his older district partner. He raises his hand with his vote as if making sure we noticed his vote. I briefly see disappointment on Anabel's face before Lorelei nods her head at Ryoko. The girl from One turns to the pair from Four and crosses her arms as she waits for their response.

As Ardos matches her pose and stands up a little taller, I'm not surprised about what Lorelei and Ryoko said about Cyrus. And when Ardos speaks up, I remain unsurprised. "Like I said yesterday, my answer didn't change. I say no to adding him."

I watch Lorelei frown at his answer, not looking surprised by it as well. I realize that she's trying to take control of this vote and I know her and Glacia will probably fight at some point about this. But maybe I can use this rivalry over who's in charge to my advantage when I want to leave the alliance. Anabel steps forward hesitantly and looks between Lorelei and Glacia. I know before she even speaks what her vote will end up being. "Ardos told me what he said about me. I don't want someone like that in our alliance."

As Ryoko looks confused about Anabel's comment, I realize that the vote is now dependent on me and Glacia. And I have no idea what her vote will be. She motions for me to answer first and I realize then that I can't afford this alliance getting split up over this decision. Without their protection, I don't know if I will be able to leave and safely get to Caitlin with supplies.

I clear my throat as I look at Lorelei and Ardos, aware of how valuable this alliance is to making my plan work out. Turning to Glacia, I give her a look hoping she understands why I am voting the way I am. I can see some confusion on her face and take a deep breath before speaking up, really hoping we don't all get in a fight. "I think there is too much risk in adding someone we don't know on the last day of training. Yeah he might help us but we have no idea what his secret motives are."

I direct the last part at Glacia, knowing that she is aware that I'm planning something with Caitlin but hoping she keeps that information to herself. And I can tell on her face that she is thinking about her own plans before clearing her face as everyone starts looking at her. Someone she ended up being the one to make the final decision about adding Cyrus to the alliance and she starts smirking, probably realizing the power she has. It's a reminder that I will have to leave her as soon as I can because I doubt she would hesitate to kill me later on if it meant her getting farther in the games. "I say no."

Her answer shocks me and I find myself trying to figure out how we agreed on this situation. I thought she would want to add someone who was older and stronger to the alliance given how much I've seen her be unhappy about the members of our alliance. I look around at the others to see what their reactions were and see Ardos looking happy while Lorelei looks disappointed in Glacia's choice. Ryoko and Anabel are looking like they think a fight is going to start but the gong rings to signal that training is about to start. Glacia looks around before nodding her head at the rest of us. "We put it to a vote and that's what we decided as a group. No point in continuing to worry about it when it's the last day of training."

I can see Ryoko stop looking worried as he agrees with her, "Yeah, Glacia's right." He grabs Anabel's arm and starts walking towards the stations, back to being his normal cheerful self. "And you still have to show me how to make a fishing net out of grass!"

Anabel is laughing as they walk away from us and I feel that terrible twisting in my stomach as I watch them. I don't know how I will be able to betray the alliance with them part of it. Not when I still feel protective towards them when I should. Ardos starts speaking and I turn to see him smiling. "I don't know how he managed to get her comfortable with training. Her brother and I have tried for years."

His comment makes me feel a little better about Anabel and Ryoko but before I can continue feeling pity towards them, a strong voice speaks us from behind us. "So have you decided?" I watch Glacia roll her eyes before we turn to look at Cyrus waiting for our answer. From the cocky grin on his face, it's clear he thinks we're going to add him.

"Yes, we have," Glacia says as she crosses her arms at him, continuing to act intimidating. Part of me wants to run away from this confrontation because I don't think he's going to take it well. But it's too late to do that so I start inching backwards a little so if he lashes out, the closest person to punch is Glacia. "You're not accepted in our alliance."

The shock to this reaction is immediate on his face and Lorelei starts to laugh about it. I just feel uneasy about this whole think and don't like the fact that two of them are so amused by a potential confrontation. But they both did sign up to train for these games. His face turns to anger and I start feeling positive that the trainers are going to have to stop a fight. "Are you joking? How could you not want me?"

Glacia shrugs as trainers start moving towards us and I feel a little relieved that they will prevent a fight from happening right now. "Easy, we don't want you and that's that. End of story."

"You're going to regret this," Cyrus points a finger in Glacia's face and somehow she doesn't flinch away from him. At this point, several trainers grab his arms and start pulling him back from us. He tries to break free to get back to us and I feel a little bit of fear in me. Is this how it will feel in the games? Cyrus keeps his eyes locked on Glacia as the trainers pull him away. "Just wait until the games start. I'll find you and kill you."

The laugh Glacia lets out is so cruel and I cringe a little at her reaction to his threat. "Good luck with that," she replies before walking away towards the training stations. After a couple seconds, Lorelei and Ardos follow after her. I'm shaking my head as I turn to start training. This girl really is not someone to mess with in the arena and chances are the Gamemakers will force us to fight at some point.

I make quick eye contact with Caitlin who has been watching this exchange with Lyra and Phoebe. The two other girls look scared about Glacia and I can't blame them. I roll my eyes at Caitlin, letting her know how I feel about this whole thing with Cyrus. A faint hint of a smile appears on her face at me before she turns back to her allies, the only sign that there's something more going on between us.

As I make my way to the stations, I feel a new determination to train today. Meeting with Caitlin last night gave me another reason to be as prepared as possible for the games. I need to make sure I can protect her. Instead of going to the sword station, I head to a climbing course. I've realized that I haven't spent any time here when I should have been. How many times has a tribute saved their life by being able to climb a tree in the past games?

The trainer welcomes me with a smile and immediately starts explaining some of the options available. "So we have three different setups for you to practice climbing," he says and starts gesturing to the wall behind him. "First we have your standard ropes," I follow his hand towards the elaborate rope setup that goes all the way to the ceiling and even across the training center. I feel unsteady at the thought of climbing that high up and don't trust myself to hold myself up. "There is also the forest setup," I turn back to the trainer and follow his gesture to a collection of different trees. Looking at them it is clear that there are varying levels of difficulty. "I recommend practicing on all of the trees. You never know what type of tree you may come across in the arena and it is useful to know how to climb different types." He pauses and we both look over at the final setup, a realistic looking rock cliff. "And the final one is probably the most difficult but very valuable. Knowing how to find footholds in a cliff can make the difference between life and death."

I take a deep breath as he looks at me expectantly. I think about the three options and know I need to try all of them but want to start with the rocks. If I can learn that one, then surely the others will be easier. "I want to try the cliff," I point at the setup and see the trainer raise an eyebrow but nods his head, obligated to go along with my request. He starts walking towards it and I follow him, feeling a little hesitant but determined to learn what to do.

"Very well," he says as he stops in front of the wall. I look up and realize the top is easily 30 feet above us. Falling from this will hurt and surely it is the reason why they have a heavy pile of mats below us. "Now with rock climbing, you need to learn how to find small spots that you can get a good hand grip on." He pauses and looks over at me. "Can you find one?"

I shrug and stare at the wall, the front of it looking identical. How am I supposed to find something that I could grip? The trainer is looking expectantly and I fight the urge to just have him tell me what to do. I put my hand on the wall and feel around, stopping on a spot that my hand fits nicely around. I look over to see the trainer smiling at me. "Yes, exactly like that. Now, I'm going to show you how to climb a few feet."

I step back and watch as he starts quickly scaling the wall, finding spots to hold that I never would have guessed. He pauses several feet above me and looks down, grinning before jumping beside me. "Think you can give it a try?"

I don't feel too confident in myself but give him a nod, determined to learn what to do. I go up to the wall and grab on with the spot I already found. Looking around I spot a second hand spot faster than before. I search to find a spot for my feet, mimicking what the trainer did. Slowly, I start pulling myself up the wall. It takes a minute for me to reach the point the trainer got to in seconds and can feel my confidence growing. I can totally learn how to do this. I move my foot up to a new spot and immediately feel myself becoming unbalanced. Despite trying my hardest to hold on, I find myself falling towards the ground. The impact on the mats knocks my breath out a little and I stare up at the ceiling, losing any confidence I had just gained about learning how to climb the cliff.

The trainer appears above me and holds out a hand to me. I take it and he pulls me up, giving me a pat on the back once I'm upright. "You were doing great for your first time so don't get discouraged with yourself. I can tell you immediately what you were doing wrong."

He moves towards the wall and I cross my arms as he climbs up a foot. He turns around to look at me. "See how I'm holding my body as close to the wall as possible?" I take in his pose and nod when I see what he means. "Well you were doing this," he says and sticks his body out from the wall. "You have a higher chance of losing your balance when you keep your center of gravity away from the wall." He jumps down and motions to the wall. "Give it another try."

I hesitantly step forward, still a little shaky from falling to the ground. But as I start climbing, it's easier for me to find places for my hands and feet. I listen to his advice and pull my body close to the wall. Immediately I can feel a difference in my stability. "Yes, exactly like that," he encourages as I continue climbing up, passing the point I had made it to before. My arms start feeling sore as I pull myself up but when I reach the halfway point on the wall, I feel determined to make it all the way to the top. It's slow going, but I get closer and closer to the top. When only a few feet away from the top, my right foot slips and I desperately hold on, not wanting to fall more than twenty feet to the ground. I frantically try to get my foot back in place, refusing to look down at the ground. "Come on, Lance! You can find a spot!" The trainer shouts up at me a little aggressively. But it's what I need to not just give up.

My foot lands on a spot and I let out a sigh of relief as I feel balanced again. I wait a few seconds to let my heartrate calm down before continuing the last stretch up the wall. My hands reach the top and I use the last bit of strength to pull myself on top of the wall. I sit on the edge and breathing heavily, give a thumbs up to the trainer as I look down, feeling a lot higher up than I thought the climb was. I take a moment to look around at the other tributes as I catch my breath. Against the opposite wall, Glacia, Lorelei, and Ardos are all talking and looking around at the others. I'm sure they're discussing strategy and right now, I'm too proud of my accomplishment to care that they're doing this without me.

My gaze then finds Caitlin with her two allies nearby at the shelter building station. From the looks of it, the three of them are working well together and are successfully building somewhere to sleep in that blends in with the surroundings. I start smiling a bit as I look back down, knowing Caitlin will be safe with them before I find her.

The trainer is smiling up at me and as I catch my breath, I start realizing something and start laughing. "So how exactly to I get down from here?"

He smiles at me before responding. "Well, you could climb down," I'm apprehensive about this and he chuckles. "Or you could turn around and see that there's a staircase." I turn around and see that there is in fact a staircase and I don't know how I didn't see it when I first got up here. I stand up and make my way down the stairs, reaching the ground on the side of the wall. Turning the corner, I can see the trainer waiting for me.

"So you never even told me what your name is," I say as I approach him, wanting to know who I can thank if I need to use these skills in the arena.

"Ankavi," he says with a smile. "Now, shall we give some of the other setups a try?"

* * *

As the training starts drawing to an end, I feel happy with myself for the amount that I had accomplished today. Most of the morning I spent with Ankavi, learning how to scale the different types of terrain. I now feel like I could climb a tree or cliff pretty fast in the games if I needed to. I returned to the fire building station before lunch, wanting to refresh my memory before the games start. And then after lunch, I spent the rest of training practicing with the swords. After two days of trying to figure out what type of weapon to use, I finally settle on a one-handed sword. The blade just feels the most right in my hand and I like the way I can move faster with it. Hendrick spared with me for most of the time, giving me important tips to use it better. But the whole time I had to force myself to put the thought of taking someone's life to the back of my mind. I know it's something that I won't be able to forget in the games but I will fight it to protect Caitlin.

But now, in the last few minutes while sparing with Hendrick, I can't help but think about all the stations I didn't go to in the three days of training. I just hope it won't end up being my downfall. Hendrick manages to strike my side as I get distracted by my thoughts. "Concentrate!" His outburst makes me angry and I start lashing out again with the dull blade, determined to make a hit on him once before training is over.

He manages to keep blocking all of my hits effortlessly while I am struggling to keep up with him. After several minutes of sparing and not making any progress, the gong sounds to signal the end of training. In that moment, Hendrick loses just enough concentration that I'm able to strike his chest. His face shows brief shock at this as we both stop. I'm breathing heaving when he starts to smile, giving me a pat on the shoulder before grabbing my sword. "Nice job there, Lance."

I smile at him, feeling accomplished at our sparing. Before I can say anything, the Head Gamemaker speaks up. "Thank you, tributes, for three great days of training," I look up at the woman with blue hair and a cunning look on her face. She's watching all of us and almost seems to be prideful about us. My stomach becomes a little uneasy at her desire to see us fighting. "Now tomorrow you will come before us individually and present your chosen skill for fifteen minutes. I look forward to seeing what you have to show me." With that, she smirks at us before turning around, hands behind her back as she walks away from us.

Any sense of achievement I just had from sparing has now turned to disgust as I'm reminded that I'm just a pawn in the Capitol's games. Hendrick doesn't seem to notice this as he takes the sword from me. "Good luck tomorrow."

"Thanks for helping me," I respond and he gives me a smile before moving to the racks of swords. I start heading out, most of the tributes already making their way over to the elevators. As I'm walking, Anabel and Ryoko fall into step with me.

"Hey Lance!" Ryoko says excitedly as they walk on either side of me. "Do you know what you're going to do tomorrow?"

I smile down at him hesitantly, still not sure how to react about his excitement, especially when directed towards the games. "I haven't started to think about it yet."

Anabel speaks up quietly as we come to a stop, waiting for an elevator among a few other tributes. Our district partners aren't in sight and I'm guessing they already made their way upstairs. "I just hope I can get a score above a five."

"You will," I say confidently as we step into an elevator that just opened. More people could fit with us but they stay waiting instead. I'm not sure why I feel the need to reassure her but I do. I decide to tease Ryoko as the doors close. "As long as Ryoko taught you well you won't get a five."

Ryoko is laughing as the doors open on his floor. "Of course I taught her well." He steps out and turns to grin at us. As the doors start closing, he speaks up. "I wouldn't be surprised if she got a twelve!"

Anabel and I are both laughing as we move up to the second floor. "You know, Lance," Anabel says quietly as the elevator stops. The doors open as I turn to look at her. "If Ardos doesn't win, I would want you to win."

Her words make me feel sick to my stomach at how she has already accepted that she won't win the games. "Thank you," I whisper before stepping out, not wanting to look at this young girl who is going to die in the next few days. I hear the doors close behind me as I walk through our floor, glad that no one appears to be around to see me. I don't know what I would say to anyone right now after finding out that someone respects you enough that if the person they've known their whole life dies they would want you to survive.

As soon as I enter my room, I close the door behind me and lean against it. I close my eyes, hating this feeling inside me. I feel sick to my stomach knowing Anabel feels that way about me when I want to leave the alliance. Part of me feels terrible for wanting to leave her behind. But wouldn't it be better to leave early on before I have to watch her die?

A knock on the door behind me makes me jump and I take a step away from it, not wanting to answer it. Not when all I can see right now are images of Anabel and Ryoko dead. "Lance, are you alright?"

I let out a sigh of relief that it's just Roxanne but don't move to open the door. "Yeah, I'm fine," I reply after a few seconds. "Just a little tired and going to shower."

Roxanne is silent for a few seconds before speaking up again. "Alright Lance. Dinner is in an hour so I'll see you then." I wait to hear her footsteps moving away before heading into the bathroom, still feeling disgusted with myself and the games.

I peel the sweaty training outfit off of me before throwing it into the corner of the bathroom, not caring at all the clothes. The shower looks so inviting right now and my body is starting to ache from an intense day of training. As soon as I turn the hot water on, I lean against the wall and let out a sigh. I had been feeling so good about training today and the progress I made until I talked to Anabel. Why must the pair from Four be good people who I don't want to see die in the games? Even Ryoko isn't too bad. He's just a boy filled with excitement at using weapons and the life of grandeur that could come from winning the games. Part of me doesn't think he'll have it in him to actually kill someone.

If only they could all be like Lorelei and Glacia. But even then, they aren't terrible people. Glacia might act like she's cruel and a normal career but I can tell she isn't. I've heard what they say about her and her grandmother in the district. I think she's just trying to prove herself and that's why she puts up these walls and acts rude. No, she can't be a terrible person.

I need to stop pitying the people I'm up against in the arena. Only one of us will make it out alive and there's a good chance I'll watch some of these people die in front of me. An image of Glacia killing Caitlin unwantedly comes into my head and I feel myself come close to being sick. God, I just want these games to be over. I don't want to die but the thought of living after going through the games and seeing 22 people die sounds so terrible. But I can't let Maylene watch me die.

Sighing, I sit down on the shower floor and let the water fall on me. This was so much easier before I met anyone and learned more about them. I should have never joined Glacia's alliance and I should have never talked to Caitlin.

But what would I be like if I did that? Miserable, alone, and most likely dead on the first day. No, that wouldn't work. I'll just have to deal with the games, one day at a time and figure out if I even have what it takes to win.

I stay there for a while, not knowing what to even do with these games. I haven't even figured out what to do for the Gamemakers tomorrow. I can only hope that meeting with Caitlin tonight will help me figure things out.

The thought of seeing Caitlin again makes me smile. Last night had been great and a much needed break from the stress of the games. Surely tonight will get rid of these sickening thoughts that I can't escape right now or at least push them away for a bit.

I let out a sigh as I continue letting the water fall on me, thoughts going back to training. Lisia's face is haunting me and I know I need to do something memorable tomorrow to get a good score. Yet I don't know what to do that would impress her. Sure, I've learn how to hold a sword, maybe hit a target in a critical spot, and climb some trees. That's nothing compared to Glacia or Lorelei's training. I don't know what Lisia wants to see which means I'll have to ask Roxanne.

After the acceptance that I need help, my mind falls quiet as I listen to the falling water for who knows how long. It's only when I start to feel myself falling asleep that I finally stand up and quickly wash myself. I reluctantly turn the hot water off, not ready to face the others and go back to the reality of the games. But the thought of dinner has my stomach rumbling so I step out of the shower, the Capitol technology drying me instantly. I still don't understand why it's so hard for them to use a towel to dry off but oh well.

A glance at the clock as I enter the main part of my room shows I've been in the shower for close to an hour. With not much time before dinner, I quickly grab a pair of black pants and a soft maroon shirt to throw on. I head out, hearing voices already at the table as I make my way down the hallway. Entering the dining room, Darach, Roxanne, and Flannery are already seated. Roxanne gives me a warm smile as I sit down, her face showing that she knows something is up with me. But thankfully, she doesn't say anything now and lets Flannery keep talking excitedly.

"So Lance, I'm assuming training went well for you today?" she asks me once I'm sitting and have started putting food on my plate. My worry starts fading away briefly as hunger takes over.

I look up at her briefly, noticing how curious she is to hear more about her tributes. I try not to let her view disgust me as I continue grabbing food. "It went fine."

Roxanne gives me a scolding look about my tone but Flannery doesn't seem to notice this. "Excellent! I can't wait to see what score you end up getting tomorrow!" I nod my head at her as I start eating food, not feeling like continuing her conversation. "And you know, people think getting a good score is the key to getting sponsors but it's only a small piece. What really matters is the interview and – oh Glacia! Come join us!" I laugh a little at her sudden change in conversation, turning around briefly to see Glacia joining us with a weary look on her face. She sits next to me, pausing for a moment before grabbing food. I'm curious about the expression on her face, noticing that she isn't as cheerful and confident as she was earlier in the day. "So Glacia, I'm assuming training for you was excellent as well?"

Glacia's only response is a quick nod before she eats silently. Yes, something is definitely bothering her right now. Maybe she is also worried about the individual sessions tomorrow? I don't understand why she would be since she is sure to get a high score.

Flannery is once again not bothered by this and continues talking about what she has been doing the past few days. I tune out the talk about parties she's been invited to with plenty of rich people and how people have been lining up to sponsor us. Even the mentors seem to be uninterested in hearing this right now and I can't blame them. Yet somehow, our charismatic escort is unbothered by us giving short responses to keep talking.

As I start getting full and feel sleepiness setting in, I start paying attention to her again to try to stay awake. "Oh and my friend Lara can't stop talking about how she wants to sponsor both of you."

Darach is the one to half-heartedly respond to Flannery. "Yes, how wonderful," he says but doesn't sound thrilled at all as he looks at Glacia with an intrigued expression. "Yes, both of them will have plenty of sponsors, just like every other year for District Two."

Roxanne starts to smile a little at his sarcastic comment and even I find myself amused by it. He's completely right about us having sponsors like the other years. I might not have previous training but being related to another victor is definitely causing intrigue. But Flannery is not happy about his remark and points her fork at him. "Don't you dare sass me, Darach Westmann," she says in a surprisingly harsh tone for the normally cheerful and peppy escort. "Not when I'm one of the people that can help Glacia get a gift in the games," she pauses at this to smile over at Glacia as I try to hold back a smile at the slightly offended look on Darach's face. It's nice to see someone put him in his face, especially the younger and smaller escort.

Flannery starts smiling again, seemingly back to her normal self. "But anyways, you two should be happy that the sponsors are acting like any other year for District Two." She leans forward towards and suddenly looks excited. She dramatically glances around before continuing, making sure she has our attention as she speaks in a fake whisper. "I shouldn't be saying this, but the tributes from One and Four haven't been as lucky with sponsors."

"Really?" I ask immediately, surprised at this statement. I would have assumed they would have just as many sponsors since they're from the normal career districts. A quick glance over at Glacia shows that she's also a little surprised by this statement.

Flannery looks thrilled that she finally has our attention and nods her head excitedly. "Oh yes. Well, the girl from One is doing fine," she drops her voice down to a whisper, mostly to herself, "but I suspect that's just because she's pretty." That makes Glacia chuckle a little and I start thinking about the rivalry between those two. I should definitely get Lorelei to help me out. I'm sure she would be happy to do so if it meant ruining Glacia's plans. Flannery continues, looking pleased with our reactions, "You two will have no problem with sponsors. Just don't do anything stupid in the games to cause them to stop giving us their money."

Her comment almost seems directed at me and I question if she knows anything about what I want to do. Will leaving the alliance really stop the sponsors from supporting me? No, they will like that thinks are getting switched up and there's drama created. "Well I don't think that will happen as long as we are keeping things interesting," I say, feeling confident in that statement. I stand up, wanting to go get some rest now and not think about the games any longer. "Well I'm going to go get some rest so I can be ready for the individual sessions tomorrow," I add, wanting them to think that's the reason but really, I just want to take a nap before I meet up with Caitlin again.

I start to leave the table and Roxanne speaks up almost immediately. "Lance, let me talk to you real quick before you go rest." I can hear her get up from the table and glance back to see her following me out of the room. I briefly wonder what she wants to talk about as we walk down the hallway towards the room. We stop at my door and she glances back before turning to me and whispering. "Lance, don't think for a second that the sponsors will stop because you leave the alliance."

"I know they won't," I respond, for once feeling confident in that statement. "Like you said before, they're going to love that I'm creating drama in the career pack."

She smiles happily at this and puts a hand on my shoulder. "How are you doing? And answer me honestly. I can tell that something is bothering you."

I sigh and contemplate not telling her anything. But the look on her face shows that she is concerned for me so I tell her. "I'm just still having doubts about being able to kill someone and I'm worried that if I won, I would be haunted by the memories."

Roxanne gives me a sympathetic look before unexpectedly pulling me into a hug. The gesture is comforting and something I didn't know I needed. "No one makes it out of the games without being haunted by the memories. Don't believe anyone who says otherwise. Even your sister is effected but she surely hides it from you."

"But why wouldn't she tell me?" I ask her, slightly offended if what she says is true. I thought my sister trusted me enough to share these things with me.

"Because you wouldn't understand," she says and steps back, keeping her hands on my shoulders. "No one understands unless they've been through the games. Your sister doesn't tell you because she goes to the other victors." She pauses and looks over my face curiously. "That's how you go on. By accepting that it happened and taking comfort from the others."

I stare at my mentor, seeing the weariness that she tries to keep hidden most of the times. "Does that happen to you?"

Roxanne smiles sadly at this. "More than I like to admit." She looks off to the side and sighs wistfully. "There are still days when I question what I could have differently to save Luana from the terrible way she died." She closes her eyes, face painfully as she is surely back in her memories of her games. When she opens her eyes, I can see the pain and regret in them but she smiles anyways at me. "I will tell you the story of my games tomorrow. But for now, you need to get some rest."

She turns as if to leave and I stop her. "Roxanne, wait," I urgently say, still needing her help. Once she's looking at me again, I continue. "I don't know what to do tomorrow for the Gamemakers."

Roxanne looks thoughtful for a few seconds before speaking up. "Show them a combination of the skills you have learned and make sure they know you can use a weapon."

I still feel unsure after her advice but it's at least somewhere to start. I nod my head at her before turning to my room. "Thank you, Roxanne."

"You're welcome, Lance," I hear her say quietly as I enter my room. I close the door behind me and suddenly feel exhausted. The bed is calling me but first I go to the clock, setting an alarm for later because I know I won't wake up without it.

Once the clock is set, I fall down on the bed, feeling instant relief at resting my body. My arms are definitely starting to ache after the many times climbing things and using the sword. But it's a necessary ache. As I start to drift off to sleep, my mind is clouded by thoughts of living with the regret of the games but knowing I would have Maylene to turn towards.

* * *

As I step out into the garden, fighting back a yawn, I can see that I'm the second one to arrive. Caitlin has her back towards me as she wanders around but turns when she hears my footsteps. She instantly starts smiling at me and walks over. "I was wondering when you would show up," she teases me but gently takes my hand.

I smile down out her before starting to walk through the garden with her. I continue her light mood, feeling the rest of my worries fade away just by being here with her. "Well sorry, I was a little tired from training all day."

She looks up at me with a face full of almost pride. "You did so well today. I kept watching you and couldn't believe how dedicated you were."

I smile wearily at the mention of training but still don't feel worried about it right now. "I have a good reason to learn how to fight now," I say quietly and can feel her squeeze my hand.

"And who says I can't fight for myself?" She teases me once again and I find my mood lifted once more just by being with her.

"I never said that," I reply as we pause near the edge of the roof. I look down and can see crowds below but they're as small as ants from up here. "But I want to make sure I can protect you if I need to."

"And protect yourself," she adds seriously and I glance over at her to see her looking at me with concern. "You will be on your own with the others for who knows how long. And once you leave, you might be fighting other tributes or worse things by yourself."

"I know," I sigh and run a hand over my face. "And I'm honestly scared at the thought of being on my own in the arena. That's why I just hope I can find you as soon as possible." I pause and smile at her as a comforting thought comes into my head. "But at least I won't be worried about you being alone. Not when you have two others with you to watch your back."

Caitlin's face lights up again with the mention of her two allies. It's a look that I want to keep bringing to her as it makes her look absolutely beautiful. "Training with them was great. Whenever one of us started to get discouraged, we had someone there to motivate us to keep trying." She turns to stare down at the crowds below, momentarily pausing as she gets distracted by them. But I'm happy to have a secret moment to just stare at her profile and take in her appearance. "And each of us have different things that we're good at. Phoebe is brilliant and is able to create these crazy traps. Lyra knows so much about plants and what we can eat." She turns to look at me and chuckles. "Meanwhile, I know how to climb trees and how to use an axe."

"Hey, don't underestimate the value of those skills," I say, trying to encourage her but end up bringing a troubled look to her face. I sigh at this, knowing where her thoughts are going. I pull her close to me, trying to comfort her. "I know the thought of killing is terrible. I fight with those thoughts all the time. But it's something we have to get past as the reality is, we're going to be in the games in days. And we're going to have to fight to survive."

I can feel a spot on my shirt becoming wet from tears and hate that Caitlin is feeling this way. "But both of us can't survive the games."

I pull her closer against me, starting to feel my own eyes watering as I think about her words. It's something I've avoided thinking about because I don't know how to deal with it. "I know and I hate that," I whisper to her, pressing my face against the top of her head. "But don't focus on that right now. We'll figure something out. But for now, live life one day at a time. Enjoy every little detail, like the flowers up here or that one Capitol food you really like. Just live."

As I hold Caitlin close to me, I question how I can follow my own advice because right now, it's hard not to think about how my life could be ending in only a matter of days. And if it does, I know I want Caitlin to be there with me until the end.

* * *

 **If you want more information about the stories, please go to my website at** **thefifthquarterquell . weebly .com** **! It is now updated through Chapter 6!**

 **Also, just another reminder to go check out stories that I have submitted tributes for! I'm very excited about it since this is the first time I've gotten involved with SYOT!**

 **I have three in Make Me a Match: The 125th Hunger Games by Goldie031.**

 **I also submitted one tribute each for these two stories:**

 **By CelticGames4: Danzón: The 125th Hunger Games**

 **By One True Victor: Bloodline: The 80th Hunger Games**

 **All three stories are still open so this is a great chance to get tributes submitted!**


	7. Private Sessions and Scores

**Welcome to the 125th Hunger Games!**

 **Just a few things before the story begins. A reminder that this is one story out of two that are taking place during the same time. So if you are reading this story first and plan on reading the other, you may want to read the same chapter from the other in order to avoid spoilers to the character.**

 **I will update the stories on the same day, that way once the games start you can choose which story to read first as there will be some spoilers about what might happen to the other character.**

 **I'll let you begin the story. As always, please review and let me know what you think, good or bad. Any comments are good comments.**

 **Let the Games begin!**

* * *

 **Chapter 7:**

"Lorelei Caromere," a robotic voice calls out, making me jump. As the girl next to me stands up and walks determined into the training center, I repeatedly tap my foot, feeling anxious about this. And now, I'm next to go. I don't know what is worse: going early or being one of the last ones.

No, going later would definitely be worse. I can barely stand waiting now and I will be the third person. Glacia sighs from next to me and I glance over to see her pulling her feet up and crossing her legs. And then, so help me, she closes her eyes. How can she be relaxed right now?

I turn my attention back to the door and start tapping my fingers on leg. How long has passed already of Lorelei's fifteen minutes in front of the Gamemakers? Five? Maybe more?

I want nothing more than to be anywhere but here. My stomach won't stop turning and I have never felt this nervous before. But it would be impossible to not be nervous when the score I receive based on the next fifteen minutes could mean life or death. I need to get a good score in order to get the sponsors to like me. And I need to have the Gamemakers like me so I can stay alive and protect Caitlin. I want to turn around and look at her, knowing I would get some small comfort from her smile. But I can't do that when everyone else is around here. They would see that action and know something was going on.

Alright, let's get it together. What am I going to do for the Gamemakers? Show them that I can use weapons. If they can see I know how to use a weapon and kill, I should be guaranteed to get a decent score. All they care about is making sure we are good pawns and play their game. And of course I will show them other-

"Lance Henderson," the voice says and my heart stops for a second. Oh god, I have to go in front of them now. From the corner of my eye I can see Glacia watching me and I know I need to look strong right now with everyone watching me. I take a deep breath and stand up, knowing I need to get moving before the Peacekeepers decide they need to make me. I shake my head a little to clear my head of other thoughts and focus on impressing the Gamemakers as I start walking into the room.

As soon as I enter the large and empty training center, I immediately notice the Gamemakers laughing and enjoying food. But the Head Gamemaker Lisia is standing still at the front, watching me walk over to her. I try not to let my fear show on my face as I walk over to them. I stop in the middle and look up at her, not sure if I should immediately begin. She nods her head at me. "You have fifteen minutes to present your skills to us. Your time begins now."

My mind briefly blanks as my time to impress them starts ticking as my nervousness reaches a new level. I turn to the weapons and take a deep breath, trying to sort through my thoughts. I force my feet to start walking, needing to get moving before they notice. My eyes land on the knives and my brain starts working again as I quickly make my way over. I pick up several, tucking as many as possible into the belt before turning around, knowing I am wasting time and need to start moving. I jog over to the climbing station and don't give myself time to consider what I'm about to do before I start climbing the rope mesh that travels across the ceiling. The ropes are easier to climb than the cliff face was but it's still a challenge and I find myself breathing heavy as I reach the top and pull myself on top of the mesh. Now that I'm looking down, I feel my stomach wanting to revolt at the height and how far I would fall if I lost my grip. I swallow down my fear and loop my left arm around as I start pulling knives out of my belt. I look around and spot the dummies closest to me at the trident station and take a deep breath, hoping I will be able to at least hit the targets from up here. And then I throw a knife.

It lands in the thigh of the dummy but I don't care, I'm just happy to have hit it. Now that I've gotten the first weapon display done, I relax very slightly and focus on throwing the remaining knives at dummies. Two land on the ground near the targets but three land on them, one of which would have been a fatal hit. I feel good about my throws and almost let myself become distracted before realizing I've definitely used up half of my time. I quickly start climbing down, wanting to show them how I can use swords since that's where I spent most of my time training with weapons. Thankfully I don't slip at all on the climb down as that would have been extremely embarrassing and definitely would have given me a low score.

Once on the ground, I set my eyes on the swords and quickly walk over, wishing I had some way of knowing how much time I had left. A glance over at the Gamemakers shows that Lisia is still standing in the front, watching me intensely as I walk across the training center. Her gaze unnerves me slightly as I pick up the sword I've been practicing with. I have no way to tell what she thinks about my display so far and I wish I knew because I'm not feeling too confident about it. But there's no time to waste trying to change my plan so I walk to the dummies, swinging the sword in my hand to get accustomed to the weight. I start slashing away, wanting to show them that I know how to use the sword, especially where to strike on a person to make a killing blow. I even throw some spins and fancy moves in, hoping they will like it.

"Thank you, Lance," Lisia's voice rings out through the training center and I pause to turn and look at her. "Your time is up. You are dismissed," she says, not showing any emotions before turning to a screen near her and starting to make notes. I have no way of knowing how I did as I set the sword back on the rack. Did she even like that at all?

Peacekeepers gesture towards the opposite side of the room from where I walked in and I head over, feeling uneasy about my individual session. It wasn't spectacular but I guess it will be better than some of the other tributes. I enter a new hallway and follow a Peacekeeper to the elevators. As I push the button, I let out a sigh and shake my head. Oh well, it is too late now to change what I showed them. Hopefully I can at least get a 6. It might not get a lot of sponsors but it will at least make them not dismiss me right away.

The elevator has me up to the second floor in seconds and I step out, immediately being greeted by Roxanne. "Lance, you're back! How did it go?"

I shrug as I walk towards my happy mentor, really not sure how to answer her. "I really don't know. It was hard to tell what Lisia Arune thought of what I did. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what score I get later."

Roxanne walks over to me and places a hand on my shoulder comfortingly. "I'm sure you did well. But like you said, we'll have to wait so no point stressing about it now." She moves her hands and clasps her hands together, looking excited about something. "Right now, we're going to wait for Glacia to get back and then we're all going up to the rooftop."

I definitely start scowling at the thought of bringing Glacia up with us. I really don't want to hear her start bragging right now about what she did in the individual session. "Do we have to bring her with us?"

"Yes," she responds immediately and gives me a scolding look. "Honestly Lance, you should try to get to know her more past the career version you always see. You'll find she's quite different from what everyone else sees."

"What's the point?" I ask as I start pacing around the room by the elevators. I'm sure she's right about Glacia being different but I'm sure she will never let me see that side. "The games start in less than two days. And in a couple weeks, at least one of us will be dead. There's no point in me getting to know her. If anything, it will make it harder to fight her in the end."

Roxanne purses her lips at this and I wait for a response from her. But she doesn't say anything else on the subject. "So how's your plan going with Caitlin?" She asks as Darach walks out of the hallway and makes his way to the kitchen. I look at her bewildered, not believing that she just mentioned my plan in front of Glacia's mentor.

Before I can say anything, Darach chuckles and waves his hand at me. "Don't stress yourself out, kid. I already know some of the details and don't worry, I haven't told Glacia." As he enters the kitchen, he shouts back at me as I look at Roxanne, still not believing this. "Your secret is safe with me!"

Roxanne simply shrugs at me and gives a small smile. "Sorry, us mentors talk to each other to get an extra opinion about what to tell our mentees." She shakes her head at me as I still look at her in disbelief. "Seriously, Lance, you don't have to worry about him telling Glacia."

I frown a little at this, still unsure that Darach hasn't told Glacia all my plans. I haven't really gotten along with him that well over the past few days so why wouldn't he say something? Well maybe he wouldn't out of respect for Roxanne. Before I can say anything else, I hear the elevator start moving. "Has it really been fifteen minutes already?"

Roxanne smiles a little at me before grabbing my hand and starting to pull me towards the elevator. The doors open and I can see Glacia looking exhausted and then she catches sight of us and looks weary. "Ah I'm glad you're back. We were waiting for you to finish so that we can go upstairs."

Glacia looks at Roxanne as if she's lost her mind and I'm amused by this interaction. Maybe it will be worth dealing with Glacia to see her look uncomfortable. "Why would we possibly want to go upstairs?"

Glacia tries to walk around Roxanne but she quickly reaches out and grabs Glacia's hand, dragging her with us onto the elevator. "We're going to the rooftop. Just wait until you see it in the daytime."

The doors close and Glacia lets out a loud sigh as we begin moving up. But I'm too excited to see the garden in daylight after being there at night lately and don't let her annoyance bother me. And when the elevator opens on the roof, I'm not disappointed by the sight. The colors are so vibrant now and I swear there are some flowers open now that aren't at night. Glacia has stepped out and is looking around in wonder at the garden and I recall what Roxanne said about her. I watch her move to a trellis of pink roses, curious about this side of her. A happy look passes over her face as she reaches out and lightly touches the petals on one of the roses.

"I figured you would like it," Roxanne says and suddenly, Glacia's mood instantly changes. It's like a switch is flipped and the emotions are gone from her face as she turns to look at us.

"I don't like it," Glacia responds harshly as anger takes over her face. I have no idea what caused her mood to change instantly and I had thought I was going to see a different side of her up here. She quickly walks back over to the elevator and smashes the button to go down. "I'm going back down now."

The doors open immediately and then she's gone. I turn to Roxanne and see how disappointed she is right now. She lets out a sigh and turns from the elevator to look at me with a sad smile. "I thought bringing her up here would get her to let down that tough front she always has. But I guess not."

I frown at seeing my mentor sad, not liking this rare side of her. "It definitely worked for a few seconds," I say to her, remembering how Glacia had looked at the roses. It was like I was up here with a completely different person from the one I see in training.

Roxanne lets out another sigh before smiling at me. "Well, we shouldn't waste our time up here. Come on, I still owe you the story about my games." She starts walking through the garden and I follow her, taking in the colors that are changed in the moonlight. Roxanne takes me to a new area that I haven't been to with Caitlin and sits down on a bench that rests in the shade of what looks to be an apple tree. I pick a fruit off before sitting next to her.

We sit in silence for a few minutes as I eat my apple, watching the emotions on her face as she stares in front of her. I can tell these memories are painful and wait patiently for her to tell me on her own. Finally, she takes a deep breath and starts. "Well, I suppose the story of my games starts several years before the 107th Hunger Games. As you probably have figured out at this point, I'm not a huge fan of fighting. So how did someone like me start training and get picked to volunteer?" She chuckles a little at the memories before she turns to me, face still sad but a little amusement in her eyes. "I liked challenging myself to do new things. And what greater challenge is there than winning the Hunger Games?" She shakes her head as she turns again to look at the flowers in front of us. "I know what you're thinking and I agree with you. I was a stupid child who didn't quite understand what I was getting myself into."

Roxanne falls silent as I think about this new information. It explains a lot about how someone who seems to loath the career system ended up as a victor in District Two. "So what did you do?"

"What do you think I did?" She asks with an eyebrow raised and turns to me. "I joined the training center. There was no other way for me to be picked to volunteer without dealing with training." She pauses and laughs at some memory. "They really didn't like me at first. To Kat and Clemont, I was a disillusioned kid who wanted to win the games but didn't want to really fight. But Bronn had faith in me and convinced the others to keep me around. And when I was 18, he once again had to convince them to let me volunteer. But he succeeded and I was thrilled to be competing in the games."

Roxanne is silent again and I can see pain on her face as she recalls the memories that I'm sure she keeps locked away. I know that's what I will do if I win the games. She takes a deep breath before continuing, seemingly determined to tell me everything. "When I went to the Capitol, I had a simple plan. I would join the career alliance, let someone else take charge, and then trick them to win. But the first day of training completely changed that plan."

"You met Luana, right?" I ask her gently and watch her eyes light up in happiness before quickly turning to sadness.

"Yes," she says and sighs wistfully as she stands up and starts walking around in front of the bench I'm sitting on. "I met Luana. She was from District Six but that didn't matter. What mattered was that she reminded me so much of my best friend from Two that I had to be allies with her." She turns back to me with a devious smile on her face and it's shocking compared to the sadness that had been there only moments ago. "Oh the plan we came up with made the games so much more challenging and it was so much fun. During the day, I would continue acting as if I was going to be part of the career alliance in order to learn their plans and weaknesses. Luana would act scared like people would expect from someone from Six. Then we would meet up here at night to discuss what I learned at training each day."

I stare at her thoughtfully, recognizing the similarities between what she did and what I am planning with Caitlin. "So that's why you didn't really question me when I said I wanted to work with Caitlin," I murmur mostly to myself.

Roxanne smiles at me and nods her head. "That's right. It reminded me so much of my games. And I also enjoy watching someone from Two change up the typical career way." She sighs and walks back over to the bench and sits down again. "But back to my games. At the start, no one suspected anything from me and Luana. This allowed me to run to the Cornucopia and gather supplies for us before we ran into the jungle. The arena that year was an ancient jungle, filled with ruins. It seemed simple enough until night fell on the first day and we discovered that the statues came to life."

"That's terrifying," I say immediately, unsettled by the thought of hiding from not only the other tributes, but stone creatures that would give no mercy. "How did you avoid them?"

"We didn't avoid them," she answers and I'm in disbelief about her answer until she continues. "We created traps for each of the careers, playing on their weaknesses that I learned in training and then let the statues take care of them." Silence falls between us as we know that she means she let the statues kill the careers. But I imagine watching this happen from home and I know I would have been very interested in seeing how her plans turned out. "It worked really well. One by one, we took out the career alliance until there was only one person left." She looks down at the ground and kicks some of the pebbles around. "Gustav. My district partner and someone I had trained with for years."

"I was dreading having to kill him and that was why he was the last one of the alliance," Roxanne says quietly as she continues kicking stones around. I watch her face, appreciating seeing this new side of my mentor. It would have been very easy for her to not tell me any of this but she decided to share it, even though it brings up terrible memories. Her eyes start to water and she sniffles before continuing. "Well, we thought things were going to end with us eliminating the last career. We were setting up the trap near dusk when Gustav attacked us. I was distracted with tying knots and couldn't reach my sword in time." She closes her eyes but not before a tear falls and she quickly wipes it away. "Gustav had slit Luana's throat, killing her almost instantly."

I put an arm around her, wanting to comfort her as she lets out a small sob. She waves we away and tries to continue. "Don't pity me right now. I knew I would see her die at some point in time, I just didn't want her life to end like that," she says angrily to me and I know her anger isn't directed towards me but to her district partner. She takes a few unsteady breaths before resuming. "I didn't show any mercy towards Gustav. I might have trained with him for years and he might have been stronger than me but in that moment, I was so fueled by anger and I wanted nothing more than to see him dead as revenge for killing Luana. It was in that moment that I proved to Kat and Clemont that I could fight, I just chose not to most of the time."

I stand up and move over to a small statue of a child with wings, wondering if it's similar to what she faced in the games. No, the Gamemakers would have made something a lot fiercer and cruel. I look back at her and see that she hasn't moved from the bench. "So then what happened? After you killed Gustav?"

She flinches slightly at me mentioning killing her district partner but she doesn't look away from me. "Well at that point, there were five tributes remaining. I went out and found them and then I won, not just for me but also for Luana." Roxanne stands up and walks over to me. She puts a hand on my shoulder and smiles sympathetically towards me. "So now you know how I killed six people and indirectly caused the deaths of four others. Do you despise me for my actions?"

I shake my head at her immediately. "No, I don't despise you. If anything, it's made me respect you more because of how you won the games."

"By trapping people and letting stone statues kill them?" She asks me in disbelief at my answer.

I laugh at her question before answering. "No, because you didn't go through the games like everyone told you to. You went through with a friend."

This causes her to smile sadly at me. "I just did what I felt was right. Make sure you do the same thing, Lance."

As her words settle in a silence between us, I know that hearing her story was the final thing I needed to hear in order to play the games exactly like I want to. Any doubts I had about being able to leave the career alliance to be with Caitlin are gone. I will find a way to be with her in the games. "I will. It looks like we might end up going through the games in a very similar way."

Roxanne chuckles a little at this and smiles. I can still see a bit of sadness on her face but it looks as if she's trying to hid away the terrible feelings from recalling her games. "There's nothing wrong with that. Clearly it worked out well since I'm standing here today." She pats my shoulder and starts to walk back towards the elevators. I fall into step next to her, still enjoying the garden during the day. "Come on, we should probably head back downstairs. You can get some rest before we find out the scores because I'm sure you'll be up late again to meet up with Caitlin."

Her comment makes me laugh as we step onto the elevator and she pushes the button to go to the second floor. As we start moving down, I joke around with her. "Hey, you were the one who did the exact same thing."

"I know," she answers immediately. The elevator stops on our floor and we both step out. No one else is in sight and she turns back to look at me. "And I don't regret any part of it. Make sure you feel the same way."

I nod my head at her, feeling determined after our conversation. "Thank you for telling me about your games. And I will make sure I don't regret anything."

* * *

As we all gather on the couches to view the scores, I can feel myself starting to get nervous once more. After talking to Roxanne, I had forgotten about the individual session and stopped worrying about if Lisia Arune liked me. But now? My heart is beating fast from worry.

Flannery is looking cheerful as always and I wish she would tone it down just a little right now. "Are you ready to see the scores?" Of course I'm not ready to see them. I don't feel good about my performance earlier and right now, I'm just hoping I don't do so poorly that Glacia and the others decide to kick me out of the alliance right away.

Glacia seems to be hesitant about the scores like me and is staring at the blank screen, a solemn look on her face. "Yes," she answers Flannery quietly and I wonder just what had made her mood change so drastically earlier that she's still being reserved.

Flannery is staring at me expectantly and I give her an answer just to make her happy. "Might as well get this over with already," I say slightly annoyed as my stomach is in knots.

She doesn't seem to be bothered by my attitude and turns the TV on, revealing the hosts right away. Claudia is dressed more casual today, letting her short silver blonde hair look messy but I'm sure someone spent hours making her look flawless. And Elliot has his long red hair braided to the side and I raise an eyebrow at his look, knowing I shouldn't be surprised by him liking his hair like that. I suppose it's better than some of the other fashion choices I've seen here.

Claudia is the first one to speak, full of energy to rival Flannery. "Welcome, citizens of Panem! Now tonight is a very special night because we have just received the scores our 22 tributes have earned from the one and only, Lisia Arune." She dramatically waves a piece of paper and I wonder if Lisia really had just finished deciding the scores. I highly doubt that since she seems like a woman who has every detail decided well in advanced. I wouldn't even be surprised if she decided our scores based on the past three days and knew what we would earn before we even walked in the room today.

Elliot acts as if he's swooning and I roll my eyes at his attitude, wishing they would just get on with announcing the scores already. "That woman has such a brilliant mind. I still can't stop thinking about the chariot rides." I find myself in agreement about the chariot rides as I have thought about the theme and wondered if she has anything else planned like that. "Clearly there is no better person to create our Fifth Quarter Quell."

Claudia smiles over at Elliot, playing up their friendship in front of the cameras. I'm sure any Capitol citizen is watching and wishing they could be exactly like them. "Now I could gladly talk about our speculations for the games – something we did yesterday – but I know everyone is impatiently waiting to hear the scores." Her comment about speculations causes me to raise an eyebrow. I didn't know they did that and would like to hear what they said about me. Claudia has paused dramatically and I can see Glacia lean closer to the TV from the corner of my eye, clearly just as impatient to find out her score. "Shall we begin?"

Elliot nods his head at her and Claudia begins to read off the scores. "First we have District One," she pauses as a picture of Ryoko appears on the screen, the small boy looking just as cheerful as always. "Ryoko Siras has earned a score of 7."

Wow, I did not expect him to earn that high of a score. Good for him, being twelve-years-old and earning a 7. Maybe it will help him earn more sponsors. I don't have any more time to speculate about his future as Elliot has started speaking and I want to find out how the rest of the people in my alliance did. "And Lorelei Caromere has earned a score of," he pauses even longer than Claudia did to create tension, "10."

Alright, I'm even more surprised about that score. Usually they only give out 10's to the best person in the career alliance, maybe an 11 if they are exceptionally good. And sure, Lorelei stands out compared to the rest of us but Glacia is definitely better trained than her.

Claudia resumes talking and I watch her intensely as my face appears on the screen. "And now for District Two." My heart is racing and I hold my breath as she determines my fate in the games. "Lance Henderson has earned a score of," she pauses slightly as she reads my score and I would scream at the screen if I wasn't so anxious right now, "9."

My jaw drops open in shock as Flannery starts cheering in excitement, "Oh that's amazing!" I stare at the 9 on the screen in disbelief as Roxanne gives me pat on the shoulder. How did I manage to score that high?

Darach gets everyone silent as Glacia's face appears on the screen and I lean back against the couch, relief starting to course through me now that I know I managed to do surprisingly well. Elliot begins speaking casually and I watch him, curious if Glacia will get an 11 or be one of the rare people who earns a 12 based on how high both my score and Lorelei's scores are. "And Glacia Skylar has earned a score of," I watch Glacia tense up as Elliot pauses dramatically once more, "9."

I thought I was done being surprised. And if someone asked me several days ago to list surprising things to happen before the games happened, I wouldn't have even thought this was possible. Glacia not getting the highest score and earning the same one as me? Absolutely shocking.

She's silent next to me and I watch her stare at the TV, face devoid of emotion as she seems to be processing this score. Flannery is trying to tell her that it's a great score and how we both did well, but Glacia doesn't seem to be hearing anything people are saying around her. I barely have time to pay attention to Elliot announce that Phoebe earned a 6 as I watch and wait to see how Glacia will finally react.

I'm starting to think she has frozen in place until Claudia has finished announcing that Ardos earned an 8. "That can't be right!" She finally shouts and silence falls around us as the mentors look at her concerned. The only sound in the room is Elliot dramatically reading Anabel's score of 6. Glacia jumps up from the couch and points at the screen as she stares at us, face lit with anger. "There is no way I deserve a score lower than Lorelei. She has had less training and isn't as good as me!" I watch her in shock and honestly a little fear as she takes a deep breath and closes her eyes for a second. But when she opens them, her anger is directed towards me and I feel fear towards her for the first time. I hadn't doubted before that she has what it takes to fight. But right now, it's clear that she could easily take someone's life and not think twice about it. Her next words are quiet and bring a chill down my spine, "And there is no way in hell that he earned the same score as me."

She turns and starts storming off to her room. In the silence left after her outburst, I glance at the others in shock and not knowing what to do. A door slams shut and Flannery and I jump at the sound. Then we hear the sound of glass shattering and I turn to Darach with my eyebrows raised, wondering why he has not done something to get Glacia to stop yet.

The sound of the object breaking causes Flannery to yell out at Darach, "Why are you just sitting there? Go stop her before she breaks everything in the room!" He doesn't move instantly and Flannery throws a pillow at him. This seems to get through to him and he gets up immediately and starts running over to the hallway. As he disappears into the hallway, the sound of another piece of glass shattering makes its way to us before a scream of rage from Glacia.

There's the sound of a third thing smashing and I turn to see Roxanne looking concerned. "Will he be alright?" I ask her, still a little afraid of seeing that rage in Glacia.

Roxanne shrugs at me as Flannery stands up and puts a hand on her face, looking immensely stressed. "If anyone can calm her down and not get injured, it will be Darach." She pauses and looks over at Flannery. "Are you okay over there?"

I glance at our escort to see her looking distraught. She tries to smile reassuringly at us before giving up and grimacing. "This is too much for me to deal with right now. I don't even want to know how much that damage is going to cost." She lets out a loud, dramatic sigh before walking away towards the elevators. "I'll be back later. I just need to be anywhere but here right now."

I watch her start walking away before hearing Claudia speak up, "And now we have District Nine."

"Damn," I murmur to myself before sighing. "I missed Caitlin's score with all that drama."

Roxanne laughs lightly and I turn to her, curious about her laughter. "Well lucky for you, I paid attention enough to see what her score was."

"And?" I ask when she doesn't continue, starting to feel concerned about Caitlin's score. I did well so now it would be great to find out that she also did well enough to get sponsors.

"She got a 7," Roxanne says with a smile. She points back to the TV as Lyra's face appears on the screen. "Isn't she also one of Caitlin's allies?"

I nod my head as I listen to Claudia, hoping that the final person that will be Caitlin's ally did well. "Lyra Randyl earned a score of 5."

I let out a sigh of disappointment before turning to Roxanne. "Well I suppose we couldn't hope for all three of them to score well."

Roxanne gives me a small smile. "One person of three earning a five is not terrible. I've seen tributes who have earned lower scores make it far in the games. The scores really are poor judges of a tribute's character and are there just to give people a good starting point for bets." The thought of people making bets on when I will die unsettles my stomach. Roxanne seems to notice this and puts her hand over mine comfortingly. "It's getting late. Why don't you go get some rest?"

I glance towards the windows and notice how dark it is outside. I shake my head as I turn back to her. "It's late enough that I'm just going to go rest up in the garden until Caitlin meets me there."

As I stand up and stretching, Roxanne watches me silently, a look on her face that seems odd. Is it sadness? A longing for the past? "Have fun, Lance. And just remember what we talked about earlier." I nod my head in understand before starting to walking towards the rooms. As I enter the hallway, I pause near Glacia's room, curious about how she is reacting right now since there hasn't been any more yelling or smashing things. I can hear the muffled voice of Darach and I linger outside her door for a second, curious to know what they're talking about. But I continue to my room, not wanting to get caught eavesdropping. And if the situation was reversed, I would have been really angry to know that Glacia was listening to my conversation with Roxanne.

I quickly enter my room and grab the gray blanket folded at the end of my bed, wanting to get up to the roof and forget about any thoughts of Glacia. As I leave my room, I peer around the door frame, checking that Glacia and Darach are still talking. Sure enough, the hallway is empty and I close my door behind me before heading towards the main room, wanting it to seem like I'm in there. Roxanne and Flannery are nowhere in sight as I make my way quietly to the elevator. I push the button and wait impatiently as it approaches, knowing that my plan could be ruined at any second if Glacia were to walk out here. But the doors open and I take comfort in the fact that she probably is still angry and upset about her score and won't be leaving her room tonight.

I press the button for the roof and lean against the side of the elevator as it takes me up. I have been so distracted by Glacia's outburst that I haven't even had time to really think about my score. I have no clue how I managed to get a 9 but I guess Lisia must have really liked me. It could be that she gave me the score since the Capitol might be expecting me to be trained like my sister. The doors open and as I step out, I'm smiling at the thought of my sister. Surely she will be proud of my score and will take comfort in knowing that I am fighting to win these games.

But my smile quickly turns to a frown as I start walking through the garden and looking for a place to lay down. Yeah I've finally started to be willing to fight in the games but I have no idea if I would through myself in front of Caitlin to keep her safe. I think I probably would and it's terrifying to have someone that I care that much about in the games.

I hear a noise from behind me near the elevators and turn around, surprised that Caitlin is already up here since I came up pretty early. I'm almost ready to call out to her when I see a flash of blond hair through the plants. I immediately duck down, hoping the person didn't see me. It was definitely a boy but the question is who. It could be Ardos which wouldn't be bad. I would just have to talk to him and leave before Caitlin got her. But I don't want to not be able to talk to her tonight. Not when we will only have one more night before the games start.

I carefully peer around some of the plants as the footsteps of the boy seems to be walking away with me. The boy is too tall to be Ardos but is definitely one of the older tributes. I watch him move through the garden silently, trying to remember what district he is from. He starts to wander farther into the garden and I realize that I have a bigger problem than him just discovering me. I can't let him discover me with Caitlin. If he is one of the older tributes, it would benefit him to reveal our secret alliance tomorrow during his interviews. It would give him more attention and cause the career alliance to be damaged. And if Glacia's alliance is messed up, I don't want to see her take out her anger on Caitlin.

I quietly move towards the elevators, hoping he doesn't decide to suddenly turn around and see me. But he keeps walking towards the far end of the garden, oblivious to the fact that there is someone else up here. I find a rose bush near the elevators and crouch down behind it, pulling the blanket around me to hopefully help me hide in the darkness. And now the waiting game begins.

My heart is beating fast as I stare out into the garden, aware of every small sound around me. As I hope that the boy will leave before Caitlin arrives, I try to remember who he is so I can determine how much of a threat it would be if he discovered me and Caitlin. I don't recall seeing his score which means he is probably from one of the middle districts since that was when Glacia was freaking out. But that means he could be from District Five through Nine.

I close my eyes as I start to think about the other children hear but quickly open them when I become too nervous at the thought of not seeing the boy approaching. The garden is still empty around me and I sit down, feeling a little confident that my spot is hidden enough. Alright, what Districts can I rule out right away? Seven. I know what Riley looks like and he is a couple years younger than the boy up here. Now there are two younger boys from the middle districts but which ones…

Ah, District Six was definitely one of them. That's the one who allied with the boy from Three. But the other didn't want to be part of that alliance. Hmm, was he from Eight? No, that doesn't seem right. Perhaps Nine.

I've just about decided that he is from either Five or Eight when I almost jump at the quiet movement of the elevator nearby. Damn, I was really hoping he would have left before Caitlin got here. She must be coming up here early because there is no way that much time has passed since I came up here.

The elevator starts moving back up and I pray that the boy isn't close enough to hear it. I move into a crouch in front the door, knowing I need to stop her from making any sounds as soon as she gets here.

The doors start to open and as soon as I see that it is her, I dash inside and cover her mouth with my hand. Her face shows shock at the sudden movement and I pull her out of the elevator and towards the area I was hiding. "Stay quiet," I whisper right next to her ear as I pull her down behind some bushes. "Someone else is up here. I'm not sure who, one of the older boys. Maybe from District Five or Eight." I pause as I see the fear in her eyes and realize I'm still covering her mouth. I move my hand away, feeling guilty about scaring her but knowing it was necessary to prevent him from finding us. "I'm sorry for doing that to you. But we can't risk him discovering us together before the games."

Caitlin nods her head in understanding as I pull her close to me, feeling terrible about the fear she's feeling right now. "You're right. But this is more terrifying than I would have imagined."

"I know," I whisper before kissing the top of her head. I wrap the blanket around both of us, wishing this wasn't happening to us right now. I just wanted to enjoy some time with her alone before everything becomes completely chaotic tomorrow. But this fear and worry is not what I imagined would happen tonight. "Is this what it's going to be like once the games actually start?"

Caitlin is silent for a minute and I listen to the sounds around us, still aware that another person is walking around and could find us. "I suppose it is. But I'm not going to let one of our last nights outside the arena get ruined by this person," she starts to stand up and I grab her hand, trying to pull her back down into hiding.

"What are you doing?" I ask as I look around, worried about her standing up. She lets go of my hand and I start frowning at her being so careless right now about being seen.

She crouches down to put her face right in front of mine, staring at my determined and willing me to just listen to her. "I'm getting him to leave here. Now stay hidden and don't say anything."

Her sudden confidence leaves me stunned as she takes off, leaving me frozen in place for a few seconds. But when she turns around a trellis of roses and I can no longer see her, I jump up and start following her from a distance, staying hidden behind the many flowers towering above my head. She has her head held high as she walks through the garden and I find myself being even more attracted to her.

When the boy comes into sight, she calls out to him. "Hello," she cheerfully walks up to him as he turns from the ledge where he was looking down below. He has a frown on his face and looks hesitant about Caitlin talking to him.

I hide behind a statue of a woman pouring water from a basin, watching them and being concerned about him noticing me. But he keeps looking out at the Capitol as Caitlin chats away happily, seemingly unaware that he is only giving her short answers. This goes on for about five minutes before he takes a step back and says something to her before turning and walking back towards the elevators. Caitlin waves and smiles at him, watching him leave. I crouch down further behind the statue as he walks near me, hoping the gray blanket helps me blend in with the surroundings. But once he has passed me and put some distance between us, I start following him to make sure he really is leaving. And sure enough, he steps on the elevator.

Once the doors have closed behind him, I stop hiding from behind plants. "Caitlin!" I call out happily, not believing that she really managed to get the boy to leave. A few seconds pass before I hear her laughing as she approaches me. I grab her and pull her into a hug and swing her around, suddenly in a good mood now that I can actually enjoy this time with her. "That was brilliant! How did you manage to get him to leave?"

Caitlin chuckles as I set her down but keeps her arms around me as she looks up at me. She shrugs before explaining, "Well, that was Brody from District Five. He got a 7 in training and wanted to be somewhere alone right now. So I ignored the subtle hints he was giving for me to leave and kept talking to him about anything. Eventually he decided to leave."

"Well that was amazing," I respond to her, still in awe of her sudden confidence. This is not the same girl that I met the night of the chariot rides. "Somehow, after only a couple days of being in the Capitol, you have changed."

She starts frowning at this statement. "Is that a bad thing?"

I shake my head at her. "Absolutely not. You've become so much more confident and unafraid." I lean down and kiss her lightly before pulling back and laughing a little. "You know, I was terrified of having you be away from me for a couple days in the games. But now? Well, you'll do just fine on your own."

She starts to blush a little at this statement but it just makes me smile even more. "I won't be completely on my own."

"No, thankfully you won't," I pull her back into a tight hug. "But if you were, I feel confident that you would be alright. Just look at that 7 you got in training!"

I can feel her laughing at this statement. "It's not as good as the 9 you got." She leans back so that she can look up at me, her face full of awe. "How did you manage to do that?"

"I have no idea," I answer as my good mood suddenly starts diminishing. "You should have seen how angry Glacia was over getting the same score as me and Lorelei doing better." I pause as I stare out at the garden, remembering the fear I felt as I watched her explode with rage. "She's terrifying. You think she's tough just from the training but then you see something like that and you realize that she really is going to be the person to beat in the games."

Caitlin is silent for a few seconds as she rests her head against my chest. I can feel her tighten her arms around me before she speaks up. "I don't like the fact that you're going to be with her for a few days."

I rest my head on top of hers, my chest tight with guilt over making Caitlin worried. "I know. I don't like it either. But it's the only way to make sure she doesn't target us right away."

"But it will happen eventually, right?" She asks and steps away from me. She sighs as she paces a little before turning to me with a sad expression. "At some point, you and Glacia will have to fight."

I nod my head in agreement, not wanting to vocalize my theory about us fighting. I'm sure the Gamemakers know we're up here and it would probably be a death sentence to speak out loud that I think they rigged the Reaping. "We will. They probably will make it the biggest moment of the games to keep the Capitol amused." I pause as I reach out and grab her hand, holding on to it tightly. "But we will fight her together and we'll get through this."

Her face shows that we both know there is no way we can get through the games together. One of us will have to die for the other to be victor. But staring at her in the moonlight, my heart races at the feelings I have towards her and I don't know if I would want to keep living without her. But I push these thoughts aside for another day when the possibility of dying is an urgent concern. She nods her head at me and lets me pull her close to me again. We hold on to each other tightly, fear and uncertainty running through my head before she whispers to me. "Together."

* * *

 **If you want more information about the stories, please go to my website at** **thefifthquarterquell . weebly .com** **! It is now updated through Chapter 7!**

 **And keep checking out the stories that I've submitted tributes to! They're all some great stories and are going to be very interesting Games. Some still have spots open so if you want to submit a tribute, now is your chance!**

 ** _Make Me a Match: 125th Hunger Games_ by Goldie031 ** \- still a couple spots left!

 _ **Danzón**_ **by CelticGames4** \- submissions close very soon

 ** _Bloodline: The 80th Hunger Games_ by One True Victor** \- closed

 ** _Free Falling: The 31st Hunger Games_ by IVolunteerAsAuthor ** \- still lots of spots open

 _ **Ad Mortem**_ **by Little Knight Mik** \- still a few spots open

 **These authors are really great so please go check them out! And look out for any tributes sent in by me!**


	8. Preparations

**Welcome to the 125th Hunger Games!**

 **Just a few things before the story begins. A reminder that this is one story out of two that are taking place during the same time. So if you are reading this story first and plan on reading the other, you may want to read the same chapter from the other in order to avoid spoilers to the character.**

 **I will update the stories on the same day, that way once the games start you can choose which story to read first as there will be some spoilers about what might happen to the other character.**

 **I'll let you begin the story. As always, please review and let me know what you think, good or bad. Any comments are good comments.**

 **Let the Games begin!**

* * *

 **Chapter 8:**

I stifle another yawn as I take another pancake from the piles of food in front of me. These late nights with Caitlin are really catching up on my sleep and all I want to do right now is go back to sleep. Everyone else seems to be feeling tired as we eat in quiet, except for Flannery who is typing away on her tablet. I take one bite of the pancake and close my eyes in happiness as I discover this one has chocolate in it. For such a simple breakfast food, the Capitol really knows how to make this better than any other I've had in my life.

I'm halfway through the pancake and keep going when Flannery speaks up loudly. "Alright, listen up you two," I glance over at her, mouth full of food to see her pointing at me and Glacia. I glance over at her and can tell that she also is not happy about Flannery getting us on one of her schedules. "We've got a very busy day ahead of us and need to follow a very tight schedule to make sure you both are prepared for the interviews tonight," she continues before looking back at her tablet and scrolling through things. When she looks back up at us, determined look on her face, I can tell already that today is not going to be fun. "We've got two hours before the prep teams will arrive. In that time, you will spend one hour with your mentors to discuss what you will say and do in the interview and the other hour will be with me to make sure you don't look like a complete fool in front of Panem."

I almost roll my eyes at this statement as I reach for another cookie. Chances are high that I'll end up making a fool of myself, with or without their help. Flannery suddenly reaches out and slaps my hand away from the cookies and I glare over at her as I lean back in my chair. I didn't know we were on such a tight schedule that I can't eat another cookie. I cross my arms as I notice Glacia struggling not to laugh right now. "So what exactly will you be teaching us?"

Flannery sighs a little before casually pointing at me, "How to not slouch in your chair like you're doing right now." Her comment irritates me and I find myself sitting up as Darach chuckles from next to Glacia across the table. Those two are finding so much amusement today over me getting scolded by Flannery and I am not happy with it. Clearly they're not still angry about Glacia's score like they were last night. Flannery seems unfazed by this as she continues. "I'll also make sure you're not going to disrespect Claudia who is a very nice woman. And Glacia will be taught how to walk in heels."

"That sounds terrible," Glacia mumbles and as she takes a sip of her water, I find myself agreeing with her. I'm glad that I'm a guy and don't have to be forced into wearing those death traps.

Flannery suddenly slams her hands down on the table and I jump at the unexpected noise. I turn back to her, shocked by the angry look on her face that is so unusual for our escort. "That's enough of you two sassing me right now," she glares at the two of us for a few seconds, making sure we're paying attention to her. Not that the glare is necessary after her sudden outburst. She continues very calmly and it's a little terrifying from her. "Now listen to me very carefully. I'm trying to help you out for your own benefit. I could just let you go out with no etiquette training," she pauses at this and her face shows that she would never let that happen and be embarrassed by us. "But I want you two to do well tonight. It will help you win sponsors and the favor of the Gamemakers, both of which are essential to winning these games. And I have every intention of the victor being from District Two." She stands up and keeps both hands on the table as she leans forward and stares at us intently. Her scrutinizing gaze has me feeling like a child being scolded by their parent and I want to shrink into my chair and hide. "Are we clear?" She asks coolly and we both nod our heads in agreement immediately. Once she sees this, she relaxes a little and stands up, straightening out her shirt. "Good. Glacia, you're with me first. Lance, go with Roxanne."

In the blink of an eye, Flannery grabs Glacia's arm and is pulling her out of her seat. Glacia's face is in shock as she starts getting dragged away and looks to Darach for help but he just shrugs at her, silently admitting that he has no control. She lets out a sigh as she follows Flannery over to our rooms.

Once they're in the hallway, I shake my head as I finally grab that second cookie. "Where did this bold Flannery come from?" I ask no one in particular. Honestly I'm still surprised about her taking charge for the day but also a little scared of working with her in an hour."

Darach stands up and shakes his head at me, not looking angry for once. "Not a clue. She usually does get a little bossy about her schedules but never like this. I would guess it's because we've all been causing her a lot of stress." He stretches his arms above his head before starting to pile food onto his plate. "Well I'm going to go prepare for an hour, assuming she can last that time with Flannery."

As he starts to walk away with the food, Roxanne starts laughing at him and calls out after him. "You mean you're going to be preparing your stomach!" Darach simply chuckles at this as he walks out of the room. Once he's gone, I find myself perplexed about how weird everyone is acting today. Roxanne lets out a sigh and I look over to find herself shaking her head while smiling. "That man is something else. I can't keep up with his moods." She turns and looks over at me, a smile still on her face. "But never mind him, we need to focus on you. Feel free to keep eating breakfast because I'm afraid you might not have time for lunch later."

I cringe a little at this and grab some more food, not wanting to feel hungry later on. "So the interview. What do I do?" I ask before taking a bite of fruit.

Roxanne ponders this as she sips her coffee while I continue eating. "Well," she says after a few seconds and stares in front of her. "Don't be afraid to use flattery. If there is one guaranteed thing to getting people to like you, it's compliments."

"How do I do that?" I ask her, clueless to how one actually does an interview with the Capitol. Here is yet another thing that Glacia will do better at than I will because I'm sure they taught her this.

Roxanne chuckles at this and I find myself frown at her seemingly laughing at me. "That's easy. It can be as easy as complimenting the food. You could even compliment Claudia." She pauses and starts mumbling to herself. "Yes, she's secretly so self-absorbed that any compliment to her will be good."

I raise an eyebrow at this as she turns back to me. "Alright, so I will flatter Claudia. What else do I need to say? And how should I act?"

"Well I can tell you how to act and I know it's not you but it's what the Capitol wants to see," Roxanne pauses to scoff at me as I start scowling already. "Oh stop, you know you need to win over the sponsors. So unfortunately, I need you to act like a career."

I start frowning at this, hating almost everything about careers and how they act. Maylene is an exception for that since she didn't do it out of bloodlust. And then, of course, there was Brycen who did it for the glory of winning. But I could ignore that and still view him as the person I met as a child. I realize I've been silent for a minute and Roxanne is watching me curiously. "I don't know how to do that."

"You don't?" Roxanne asks and stares at me, face showing that she doesn't believe me. When I stay silent, she sighs and rests her arm on the table as she looks at me. "Lance, don't you dare lie to me about not knowing what a career is like. You grew up with your sister who went on to win her games. I know she's invited over the other victors many times for dinner and you're familiar with them. You also had a best friend who was chosen as the volunteer last year. I don't believe you for one second that you don't have a clue how to act like a career."

I stand up in anger and walk towards the window, hating the fact that I have to become the person I've wanted to avoid my whole life. I've seen how the aftermath of the games affects the victors, despite all of their training. And I've lost a close friend to the training. As I stare down at the stage being built for tonight, I think about the games that are starting just tomorrow. Around this time tomorrow, I will be getting ready to enter the arena. And at that point, I will need to fight to protect my life and also protect Caitlin.

I turn around to see Roxanne watching me carefully. I take a deep breath as I prepare for doing what I need to do in order to survive. Because there are other people depending on my survival. And for now, that means winning over the Capitol crowds. "Okay," I whisper and close my eyes as I take a moment to compose myself. When I open my eyes, Roxanne is giving me a look that seems to be of pride. "I know how to act. They are confident about all of their actions. They are ready to fight and give the Capitol the show they want. But the main thing is that they are ready to win."

Roxanne nods her head in agreement as she stands up and walks over to me. When she reaches me, she places a hand comfortingly on my shoulder. "You're right about that and you must show that to the Capitol. Not just tonight, but also in the arena. There will be moments when you want to give up and stop fighting, but you have to remember that it is a matter of life or death and you must choice to live."

"I will make that choice to live," I tell her, but mostly I tell myself because my head is still filled with doubts about being capable of fighting and killing someone or even managing to win the games. I stare out the window at the Capitol, aware that this could be one of the last days I'm here. But with the morning light reflecting off the rainbow of hues on the buildings, there's an unexpected beauty that I want to see again.

"Good," Roxanne says after a few minutes of us staring out the window at the city surrounding us. "I don't want you to give up at any point during the games. And while you might not be in the arena yet, the games have started."

I turn to look at her, understanding exactly what she means. "You're right. What else do I need to do in the interview?"

Roxanne sighs and I can tell that I'm not going to like her response. "Well, you can guarantee that Claudia will bring up your sister. You need to use her as a way to bring sympathy from the sponsors. Talk about how she fought to get you away from your father. The Capitol loved that story when she was here so use it again. You have to win to make her games not a waste."

"No," I immediately say and shake my head at her. "I don't want to have my victory be because they liked my sister. I want it to be because they liked me and supported me as an individual."

"Lance," she condescendingly says and I can tell I'm about to get a lecture from her. "Stop being stubborn about this. Whether you like it or not, the Capitol will associate you with your sister. It's unavoidable. It's an advantage that you've been given that very few ever have. And the games are not about if you can simply fight and beat the others. It's about taking every advantage that you get from the Capitol and using it to win."

"I still don't want to use my sister," I cross my arms and start pacing around in front of the window.

"Then don't," she replies exasperated with me and I look over to see her point at me. "But know that Glacia will take every opportunity to remind her that she's Sylvia's granddaughter."

"Are you saying that she will win instead of me because she doesn't care about winning honestly and on her own?" I ask her, stomach dropping that my mentor seems to be losing faith in me.

"I'm saying that she will be better favored by the sponsors and that could help her win," Roxanne answers honestly and then stays silent, letting me think this over on my own. As I look at her, I can tell she really does want to see me win the games. Yet here I am fighting her at every suggestion she gives me.

I let out a long sigh before giving in, knowing that she is right and understands how the Capitol works more than I ever will. "Fine. I will talk about Maylene. But I'm going to make it about me and not let my entire interview be about her."

Roxanne smiles at this acceptance. "That's all I wanted from you. To be confident and take advantage of what the Capitol is willing to give you."

* * *

"Alright, Lance, sit down in the chair," Flannery says, sounding exhausted as she points to the chair set up in the middle of what appears to be her office. Shoes are scattered all around the room, surely from Glacia being with her before me. I listen to her command, seeing the exhaustion setting in on her face and not wanting to bring out the unexpected anger she showed at breakfast. Immediately, she places a hand on her face before looking up at me. "Why must you slouch when you sit?"

I try to sit up straight to make her happy, but can tell right away that I'm clearly not doing something right. "What am I not doing right?"

Flannery puts her hands on her hips as she stares at me for several seconds. "I think it would be easier to say what you are doing right rather than the many things you are doing wrong." She pauses to point her finger accusingly at me. "And don't you dare start scowling at me or so help me, I will let you walk out on that stage with no assistance from me. Trust me, you need my guidance."

I try to keep my face composed as I stare back at her, knowing I just need to get through one hour of working with her. With a reminder to myself that she is trying to help me, I take a deep breath before attempting to make her happy. "Okay. What's the first thing you would like me to fix?"

Flannery gives a small smile to me before walking over. "First, sit up a little straighter. You really do have a tendency to slouch when you're sitting and must fight that urge. Not just when you are being interviewed, but the entire time you are sitting on stage as the other tributes are being interviewed. It may not seem like it, but there will be some in the crowd who watch you on stage."

"Really?" I ask in surprise and she nods her head in agreement. So I sit up a little more, feeling awkward about the movement but she gives an approval. "This is right?"

"Yes," she says and moves her hand under my chin to push it up slightly. "And keep your head held high. You must remember that you are from District Two and have to uphold the reputation of being from the District with the most living victors. Take pride in your heritage."

I'm about ready to argue that I don't want to be proud of that when I remember that my sister is part of the living victors and I am proud of her. She went through so much to fight for me, spending long hours training and coming home with bruises from fights only to receive more from our father. And that moment when she won, well, if I close my eyes I can still remember the thrill of hearing the announcement. _The winner of the 120_ _th_ _Hunger Games, Maylene Henderson._ Nothing can compare to that moment when I knew I would see my sister again and that she would get us away from our father. Except, perhaps, hearing the announcement that I am the winner and will get to see her again.

I keep my chin held high when Flannery moves her hand away and she smiles approvingly. "Now I want you to cross your legs so that your ankle rests over your knee. It looks better than sitting with your legs spread wide open, especially when you're talking to Claudia." I try to follow her instructions before she walks over and grabs my leg, moving it around until it fits her standards. "There. It might not be the most formal way of sitting but I find it helps give the audience the sense that you are strong and relaxed about everything, as if you already know you'll win and this is just a formality."

"Is this how you instruct the volunteers each year?" I ask her after that description. Her face shows excitement at this question and she nods her head enthusiastically. "Then please keep telling me what I need to do."

The rest of the hour passes by quickly as she keeps instructing me on ways to act in my interview, from walking to and from my seat on stage, how to shake Claudia's hand, to how often I should laugh about at things Claudia says. And constantly, she's shouting at me to sit or stand straight. By the end of it, she's gotten so fed up with me slouching that she has set books on my head and instructed me to simply walk around the room. It's slow going as I pace the room, feeling the books sitting precariously on my head and not wanting to let any of them fall. Flannery now sits in the chair, perfectly poised as she watches me with sharp eyes.

The door slams open and I jump in shock, causing the books to topple loudly onto the floor. Loud voices come from the door as I turn to see my prep team talking animatedly. Flannery is shaking her head at them as she moves to pick up the books from where they fell around me. Mira walks over to me and takes my hands, gripping them tightly as she looks me over. "There you are! Are you ready for us to make you dazzle in front of the crowd tonight?"

I look over my shoulder at Flannery, not ready to go be with the prep team for hours but she waves me away. Mira takes this as an invitation and starts dragging me out of the room. Cilan and Milan fall into step with us as we walk down the hallway, voices drifting from the main area and I know that Glacia's prep team must also be here. "Lance, just wait until we get you ready for tonight," Cilan says as we enter my room.

"Galen created quite the exciting suit for tonight," Milan adds as I take in the containers full of supplies that they have already placed in my room.

I'm a little skeptical about how they can make a simple suit stand out for the interviews but don't say anything to protest. Mira starts unpacking the supplies and glances up from the floor to look up at me with the twins on either side. "Boys, he needs to shower. Take him over and make sure he's clean. Then shave him and make sure his hair is dry and ready for me to style it."

"Of course," Milan agrees with her before taking my arm with his brother and starting to drag me into the bathroom.

"I can shower on my own-" I start to protest against them, really not wanting to be showered by two grown men. But they shush me and I accept that the prep team does not care about normal boundaries and will do whatever it takes to make sure that I look perfect for tonight.

* * *

Who would have thought that I would have spent a good portion of today arguing with someone over makeup. Yet Cilan was insistent that I wear an exuberant amount while Milan wanted me to have no makeup on. Mira was caught in the middle of the argument, all while trying to style my hair. It was only after a half hour passed that they finally reached an agreement, allowing Cilan to add brown on the edges of my lashes to darken them and 'bring out the green' for my eyes. I would have been content to have no makeup on my face, especially not something that was painful to put on. And later on, when Cilan managed to put a dark powder under my cheekbones before Milan noticed, resulting in an argument that wasted time before Mira finally yelled at them to stop. It was only after Milan realized it made my face look more chiseled that he accepted it, even wanting to add more in different spots to my face. It was after a while that Mira finally said enough and took the makeup brushes away from the two. Yet I'm still terrified to see how my face looks.

I feel like I can at least trust Mira with the styling of my hair. With the amount of time that she spent, there has to be a high level of precision to the look. But I don't have high hopes for my overall appearance. Not after how many arguments have occurred within my prep team.

The arrival of Galen has me feeling relieved and I casually smile at him before Cilan tells me to stop so he can finish putting powder on my face. Once he's down, the three step back so that Galen can have a closer look. I watch his face anxiously as he studies me, searching for any sign that they made me look terrible. A minute passes before he nods his head in approval. "Whose idea was it to do the contouring?"

I have no clue what he just said but Cilan raises his hand proudly. "That was my idea."

Galen nods his head a few times as he continues to look at me. "I like it." I see Cilan give Milan a smug look before the latter rolls his eyes at his brother. Galen continues his approval, gently moving a few stray pieces of hair. "Good job with the hair, Mira. The side swept hair always is a crowd favorite."

Mira looks absolutely thrilled by his praise before the stylist finally addresses me. "Alright Lance. Shall we get you dressed?" He motions to the bag now hanging on the door that I didn't notice before and Mira moves for it immediately. She holds it while Galen starts unzipping the bag. "Now I made you a relatively simply suit. But the thing is, I couldn't just give you a simple black and white suit."

He turns to me with a devilish grin as he pulls out a bright red jacket. I raise my eyebrows at this in surprise, questioning the color. "Yeah that's definitely different." Galen passes a white dress shirt to Cilan and he starts helping me put it on as I continue to stare at the jacket, noticing how the lapel of the jacket is black along with parts of the pockets. It's a subtle touch that makes the jacket not as harsh but I still can't get past the color. "So why red?"

Galen hands the pair of pants – thankfully black – to Milan and waits for me to start putting them on before answering me. "Well Lisia is partially continuing the theme from the chariot rides, at least for the females. They have a new addition to their dresses that isn't normal, even by Capitol standards." He gives the skinny black tie to Mira and she moves to help me put it on as the twins make sure my shirt and pants are perfect looking. "She also wanted to keep the colors consistent with the pairs and relating them back to their Greek god or goddess."

"Yeah and we had Ares," I comment as I button the ends of the sleeves, refusing to let the prep team dress me completely. I think back to my outfit from the chariot ride, still not sure why they chose red. "Why not give us gold like the set of armor?"

"Multiple reasons," Galen says as he walks over to me with the jacket. He helps me put it on as he continues. "Serena and I figured that District One's stylists will probably give them gold, possibly Eight as well." I have to think for a few seconds who Serena is before recalling that she is Glacia's stylist. "Now we didn't want you to be wearing the same color as another District. That wouldn't help you two to stand out." He starts to button the jacket before stepping back for a second and deciding against it. "Leave the jacket unbuttoned. It gives you a casual look."

I nod in agreement at this as he starts making slight changes to my appearance. "Okay so you told me why you didn't go with gold but not why you chose red."

Galen laughs at this as he pauses what he's doing. "Sorry about that, I get distracted easily when it comes to fashion." He goes silent for a few seconds and I start worrying that he won't answer me but he continues. "Well we discovered when researching that red was a color often associated with Ares so that's why we chose it. And I found myself asking why. But then I realized. Ares was the God of War. Of course they associated the color red with him."

He falls silent once more and I'm left to make the final connection about the color. When I realize it, I'm almost disgusted with the outfit before reminding myself that I have to play the part of a career now. "It's red like the blood spilled in war."

Galen gives me a smile as he steps back, indicating that I'm correct. He gives me one more look over before letting out a deep breath. "Well, I think you are ready for tonight. You can go ahead and turn around to see yourself."

My concern earlier over the arguments the prep team had returns and I find myself afraid to see myself. But Galen approved of their makeup and I kind of trust him to not make me look crazy. With a deep breath, I turn around and look in the mirror to see a man who looks well put together and way older than I actually am. Whatever makeup they did to my face has my bone structure more prominent and almost more masculine. And with my hair gelled to the side in a way that looks effortless, well, I can see how they have made me more appealing to the female audience. The suit fits perfectly, preventing me from looking like a boy who is trying on one of his father's suits.

Quite simply, I look good.

I'm starting to grin as I turn around to look at Galen and my prep team who are waiting for my reaction. "I look great. Thank you."

Galen gives me a pat on my shoulder as he smiles at me. "You're very welcome. Now, let's get you in your dress shoes and then we can get you downstairs."

Nervousness starts to make my stomach twist as I put the shoes on, not sure if I feel ready for this interview. I try to recall Roxanna and Flannery's advice about being comment as I straighten up, knowing I can't really put this off. I try to put on a confident smile as I look at Galen. "Alright, let's do this."

Galen leads the way out of my room and as we walk down the hallway, I can hear voices in Glacia's room indicating that she isn't done getting ready yet. We reach the main room and I look around curiously, surprised to see no one else around. Galen answers my unspoken question as he presses the button for the elevator. "They had to leave earlier. The mentors have a special seat in the crowd and it usually is a struggle to reach their seats from the building."

The doors open and reveal on of the older boys, fidgeting with the collar of his gray pinstripe suit. He gives me a nod of greeting as I step onto the elevator with Galen and I return the gesture as I try to not reveal on my face that he was the one up in the garden last night. He doesn't give me any weird looks as we move down to the main floor of the training center and I take relief in knowing that he doesn't know that I was up on the roof with Caitlin. When the doors open, he is quick to walk out with his stylist following quickly behind him.

I start making my way towards where a line has started to form near the doors of the building. Around half of the tributes are already there and sure enough, the District pairs are matching in color. I give a smile in greeting to Anabel and Ardos as Galen leads me towards the very front. The pair seems nervous, both wearing navy blue to look like the sea, of course. Anabel's dress fades from silver to blue halfway down and it almost appears as if she was dipped into the ocean and pulled the blue color with her. But then I notice the weird piece of fabric attached to her shoulders and look around at the other children here and notice all of the females have something similar.

I turn to Galen, perplexed about it. "So are those capes attached to their dresses?"

He chuckles at this as he also looks around at the dresses. "That's the addition that I had mentioned before. I wasn't sure about it when Lisia demanded it but now that I'm seeing it on people, I think it was a good call."

I find myself agreeing with him as I watch an elevator open and Lorelei and Ryoko walk out together. They both are wearing white with gold embellishments, looking very much like they are from the luxury District. And sure enough, she has a long cape attached to her dress that flows behind her as she's walking, almost giving her a regal appearance. They both say hello as their stylists move them in front of me in line and I give a small greeting back, not feeling entirely up for small talk.

I'm about to turn back to Galen when the doors open on the elevator and Caitlin steps out, looking hesitant as she tries to adjust her dress to cover herself more. But she looks absolutely ethereal in a silver gown with the top made out of flowers and the bottom and cape made out of a material that just seems to float around her. I can see why she would be nervous about the plunging neckline but to me, she is absolutely stunning and once again looks like the moon goddess reborn. Her red hair is braided into a crown on her head and I'm happy they kept her makeup to a minimal, allowing for silver glitter to make the biggest impact on everyone. She meets my gaze and her cheeks start to turn pink as I give her a brief smile, enough to let her know I saw her outfit and think she looks gorgeous but not enough to let the other tributes realize there is something between us.

Galen has a knowing look on his face when we make eye contact but doesn't say anything. Instead, he starts to make slight changes once more to the way my hair is styled. I don't know how he can still find imperfections yet he does. "You know, Lance," he says quietly as he works, other stylists around us also making changes to the others. "I always find that I'm never happy with my work until you're about to walk out on stage. It's only when I see the reaction of the crowd that I'm able to not focus on every tiny detail that's wrong and only I can notice."

Someone carrying a clipboard walks over, pausing to look at me. "Lance Henderson, District Two?" he asks and I give him a nod. "Very well. You're standing in the right spot. Females will go first for each District," he says and before I can say anything, he has moved on to the small boy next to me.

I turn back to Galen and try to recall what he said before the organizer interrupted us. "There's nothing wrong with being a perfectionist in your work," I respond to him as he takes a step back to look at his work. I glance behind him and see Glacia approaching us with Serena and I'm shocked at how someone who is so ready to fight can get dressed up so nicely. Sure enough, her dress is the same red as my jacket. It's tight fitting and shows off all of her curves, something I never noticed from her before. And as she gets closer, I notice how her blue eyes look even fiercer than usual. Her stylist has managed to make her a double threat: attractive and deadly.

This will not be good for me as she is going to get many sponsors tonight, probably some that only want to support one tribute from a District. I will simply have to be better than her in the actual interview part and I feel confident that I can make a good attempt. When she reaches us, I give her a nod of greeting, not sure what to say to her right now. She returns the gesture before looking around at the other tributes around us, most now there. She turns back to her stylist and gives a half smile. "You know, the cape is really growing on me."

I take in the sheer red cape that they've given her, not really thinking it's anything special, not when compared to the Lorelei has that is embellished with gold or the one that makes Caitlin truly look like a goddess. But it does give her a regality and she seems to be standing a little taller in it. Or perhaps that is the heels that she has on that puts her almost at my height.

Serena gives her a small smile as she straightens out her dress. "I knew you would like it eventually," Serena pauses and Glacia looks around, taking in Ryoko's appearance before her stylist continues. "Alright Glacia, I think we need to get going. Just remember what I told you."

I question what they discussed as Glacia nods her head in agreement at this. Galen clears his throat and I look over at him. "I will be leaving too. Good luck, Lance."

"Thanks Galen," I say once more before the stylists leave us. I turn to Glacia as she watches the stylists leave for a few seconds before she looks at me. Now that Galen is gone, I feel the full force of my nerves hitting me and I need to talk to keep myself distracted from what is about to happen. "Are you ready for this?"

Her eyes betray the cool demeanor that she's trying to give by casually shrugging at this. I take a little comfort in knowing that even she is feeling nervous about being interviewed in front of Panem tonight. "Yeah, as ready as I'll ever be," she answers and I can hear her voice shake just a tiny bit in nervousness.

Ryoko interrupts into our conversation and I look over at him curiously. "Oh you'll be just fine!" Glacia glances over her shoulder at him and I find myself jealous that he doesn't seem worried at all about the interviews. He grins at us as Lorelei shakes her head a little from behind him. "Both of you will be fine, just look at the scores you got. The crowd loves you already!"

I find myself laughing at his always positive attitude and Glacia turns back around to face me, shaking her head at the craziness that is Ryoko. "If only we all had the confidence that you have, Ryoko," I joke around with him and he starts laughing at this as Glacia stares at me curiously. I'm not sure what she's trying to figure out but once Ryoko has turned around, I try to smile at her, finding myself relating to her as her eyes continue to show worry. "You need to stand in front of me in line, someone came through earlier and said that the girls go first for each District."

Glacia only nods hear head at this as she looks around at the tributes around us all dressed up before moving to stand between me and Ryoko. I wish I could know what is going through her head right now as she takes a deep breath, seemingly trying to calm herself.

An announcement is made, almost making me jump in surprise as my nerves have put me on edge. "Attention tributes, please prepare for your interviews. The interviews start in one minute. Again, please prepare for your interviews. Thank you."

Glacia looks back at me as the crowds starts cheering, the sound muffled by the building. There is panic in her eyes as Claudia's voice can be heard and I find myself almost wanting to comfort her. "Welcome Panem! Tonight is a very special night as we have the opportunity to hear from all 22 tributes. Each tribute will have three minutes to impress us on the last night before the games begin! Shall we bring them out?"

The crowd's screams become even louder after Claudia spoke to them and my heart starts racing at the thought of going out in front of everyone. "Good luck," Glacia whispers to me as the doors open to the building and the screams of the crowd comes in clearly.

"You too," I whisper back to her, genuinely meaning it in that moment because I know we both need a little bit of reassurance to get through it. And in that moment when it hit us that we are about to walk out on stage in front of all of Panem, I forgot all about her being competition and only viewed her as someone who is just as nervous as I am about this.

Lorelei is starting to lead us all out onto the stage and I see Glacia put her head up high as Ryoko steps out, preparing to pretend to the entire nation that she is the confident career she normally is. And as my heart reaches its peak, I start walking out onto the stage after her.

* * *

 **So I just started a new story, this time it is a SYOT. It will take place in the 149th Hunger Games and in this AU I have created. Please go check it out and think about submitting :)**

 **If you want more information about the stories, please go to my website at** **thefifthquarterquell . weebly .com** **! It is now updated through Chapter 8!**


	9. Interviews Part 1

**Welcome to the 125th Hunger Games!**

 **Just a few things before the story begins. A reminder that this is one story out of two that are taking place during the same time. So if you are reading this story first and plan on reading the other, you may want to read the same chapter from the other in order to avoid spoilers to the character.**

 **I will update the stories on the same day, that way once the games start you can choose which story to read first as there will be some spoilers about what might happen to the other character.**

 **I'll let you begin the story. As always, please review and let me know what you think, good or bad. Any comments are good comments.**

 **Let the Games begin!**

* * *

 **Chapter 9:**

The lights of the stage blind me at first as the crowd cheers loudly at our arrival on the stage. I remember to make sure to look the part of the career and smile at them as I follow Glacia, careful to keep a good distance between us so I don't accidentally step on the back of her dress. That surely wouldn't be a good way to impress the sponsors. I almost laugh at the thought of Glacia falling because of me as Lorelei leads us up the stairs leading to a platform on the stage. An arc of chairs wait for us and I continue following Glacia over to the far end of the seats, knowing we will be some of the first ones because of our District. Lorelei and Ryoko stand at their chair so Glacia and I follow their action as the rest of the tributes join us. I glance down the line to see Caitlin walking up the stairs, carefully watching her steps. When she reaches the top, she looks up at me and gives me a look, telling me to be careful with watching her. So I turn my gaze out to the crowd, hoping no one noticed me.

I'm amazed at the amount of people they managed to fit in the City Circle for these interviews. The stylists have seats right at the front like always and the mentors and escorts behind them. I turn my attention to Claudia as the amount of people present starts to make me anxious. She is watching us walk on the stage, looking proud about us and ready to start to the interviews. As the pair from Eleven walk up the steps, I glance around at the buildings and see the Gamemakers on a balcony to the right of the stage. I take notice of this, knowing that Claudia might give me the opportunity to impress them.

"Welcome, tributes!" Claudia shouts as the last person stops in front of his seat and the crowd cheers as she holds her arms out in greeting to us. Their energy makes me disgusted and I fight to not show how much I hate that they make the killing of children be entertainment in the Capitol. "You may sit down in your chairs before we get started." I sit down as Glacia adjusts her dress before sitting next to me. On my right, Phoebe seems to not mind me sitting next to her and I wonder just how much Caitlin has told her about me. Claudia starts to pace the stage as she explains how tonight will work. "Now the rules are simple. Each of you will be interviewed by me for three minutes. The ladies will go first for each district." She takes a moment to make eye contact with all of us and I curiously return her gaze, wondering which person she is routing for the most. She probably has to claim to be neutral but I'm sure she has her favorites. Hopefully it will be me by time the interviews are over. "Use this time wisely. Your three minutes are the only time we will hear from you before the games start tomorrow morning. Make it count." Claudia spins around to look at the silent crowd, everyone waiting to hear anything she has to say tonight. It's amazing to see one person keep this many people silent. "Now," she says and pauses dramatically as she looks around at the crowd. I find one of the screens nearby in the City Circle to watch her as she continues. "I'm your ever humble host, Claudia Flickerman. But you already know about me. The people you don't know are the 22 tributes sitting behind me." A smile starts to appear on her face in excitement over the interviews before she shouts, "Let's begin!"

The crowd is cheering as Claudia turns around again and points at Lorelei. I watch her stand up and make her way down the stairs, carefully not to trip before walking with her head high. Her cape moves behind her and she looks so elegant and beautiful in that dress. District One always does have the prettiest girls. She shakes Claudia's hand when she reaches the center of the stage before the host gestures to the seats. Once sitting, Lorelei is poised and sitting carefully as she gives a dazzling smile to the crowd.

Claudia addresses the crowd and Lorelei, also looking beautiful tonight. "Starting off the interviews tonight for the Fifth Quarter Quell is Lorelei Caromere from District One!" She pauses to let the crowd applaud this statement, almost as if she knew they would react to that. "Now can I just start off by saying that you look stunning like always in that dress. I think my heart started beating faster when you first walked out on stage," Claudia turns to the crowd and smiles out at them. "Did you feel that way too?" Many people respond to her in agreement and I'm sure many of the guys are paying attention to Lorelei only because of her looks.

Lorelei starts laughing lightheartedly about the crowd cheering at her, very aware that her beauty is one of the main factors making her a contender in the games. "Thank you, I do have a wonderful stylist. This dress is just amazing." Lorelei gives a dazzling smile over to her stylist sitting in the front who in return raises a hand in acknowledgement of the crowd cheering for her, looking pleased at having her work recognized.

Claudia lets the crowd cheer before moving on with her questions for Lorelei. "Now you are the tribute with the highest score," Claudia lets some of the crowd cheer momentarily at this. "I know, pretty impressive. Lorelei, what was your reaction when you saw that you earned a 10?"

Lorelei actually flips her hair over her shoulder and I notice Glacia tense up next to me. I look out at the crowd as Lorelei continues, "I was pleasantly surprised." I spot Darach and see what seems to be the end of a silent communication between him and Glacia. Very curious that Glacia doesn't seem to have her act together right now. Next to him is Roxanne and I smile at her, happy to see her familiar face in the crowd. She smiles back as I tune in to the interview happening on the stage.

Claudia responds to what Lorelei said and I realize I missed part of her talking. "Now you mentioned that you worked hard," she says and Lorelei nods her head in agreement. "Does that mean you have trained?"

This should have been obvious to everyone and I don't understand why Claudia had to ask it. "Yes I have," Lorelei answers proudly to the energetic host and grins at the crowd cheering in excitement over a tribute who has trained. Man, if the crowd is reacting this much to Lorelei's incomplete training, how are they going to react to Glacia?

Claudia continues on this question, paying close attention to Lorelei. That was always something I liked about Claudia. No matter who she was interviewing, she gave them her full attention. "Did you ever think about volunteering for the games?"

"Of course I did," Lorelei answers immediately and I watch as the pleasant smile on her face falters a little in annoyance over the obvious question. "Otherwise I wouldn't have spent so much time training. I still had one year left so who knows if I would have been selected as the volunteer." After being around her training the past few days, I really don't think she would have been selected. She's talented, sure, but she is also lacking in a lot of areas that I'm sure other girls her age are skilled at. "I would hope that I would have been chosen but hey, I'm still going to fight just as hard now as I would have if I was fighting in a year." She shrugs at this statement and I'm surprised by how many people in the crowd are hooked on every word she says. Her interview is nothing special compared to the normal career tributes every other year.

"So you're pretty and determined to fight," Claudia laughs a little and the crowd joins in with her for a few seconds. "Now, you seem smart about your training and choices for the games," Claudia continues and I hear Glacia scoff at this statement. I almost start laughing about her seeming hatred towards Lorelei and have to quickly turn it into a cough before anyone can notice. I stop in time to hear the last part of Claudia talking. "Who are your allies?"

Lorelei gives a somewhat strained smile at this and I know she still is not happy about who she ended up in an alliance with. Is anyone in our group happy about everyone? "Well we're keeping together the District alliance that normally happens with One, Two, and Four so everyone from those Districts are my allies."

The crowd applauds this and I force myself to smile, knowing some people are surely looking at the five of us waiting on stage to see our reactions. And I'm going to make sure they think I'm content about this alliance. It will make my betrayal that much better in their eyes. Claudia is grinning about this, "I love to see such District loyalty like that, especially with the age difference between all six of you this year." Her gaze and the camera turn to President Xavier on a balcony to the left of the stage, showing that he seems pleased about this as well. A buzzer goes off and Claudia gives Lorelei a smile before turning to the crowd. "We are out of time with Lorelei. Give a round of applause for her!" The crowd listens to her as Lorelei stands up and waves at everyone before starting to return to her seat. "Now let's hear from her District partner, Ryoko Siras!"

Ryoko is out of his seat immediately and almost runs down the stairs to reach Claudia. In his rush, he bumps into Lorelei, nearly knocking her over. I chuckle at this as the crowd also laughs while Glacia shakes her head next to me. That boy really is something else. Lorelei returns to her seat flustered as Ryoko shakes Claudia's hand excitedly. The poor host looks so shocked at his energy and I feel a little bad for her. It really can be a lot to handle if you aren't used to him. "Wow this is so exciting! I'm so happy that I get to have an interview with you!" Whether intentional or not, Ryoko has the crowd still laughing as he sits down and waves at them. "There's so many people here! This is so cool!"

Claudia appears to have collected herself after the surprising entrance by Ryoko and tries to start his interview. "Yes, we always have an excellent turnout here in the Capitol for the games and take great joy in the festivities-"

Ryoko interrupts her and I shake my head while smiling at him. Well, she tried to start the interview. "There's got to be thousands here!" He looks around the City Circle in awe and I can understand how the large crowd would make quite the impression on the young boy. "More people than I've ever seen back in One."

I watch Claudia's smile start to falter as she tries again to get the interview under her control. "So Ryoko-"

"Is that one of the cameras?" Ryoko once again interrupts the host as he points to the edge of the stage before getting a goofy grin on his face and waving at it. "Hi mom!"

Glacia actually starts laughing at this and it's such a rare thing from her. I don't know if I've ever heard her genuinely laugh over something. Claudia finally appears to have enough of this and shouts to get him to stop. "Ryoko!"

Ryoko finally falls quiet as he looks at her confused by her yelling. He really doesn't have a clue that he can talk forever. "Yes?"

Claudia seems completely flustered by him as the crowd is hysterically laughing at him. He grins out at them, blissfully unaware that they're laughing because he doesn't stop talking and I find myself wishing I could have his innocence at this moment. "Clearly you're excited about being here and part of the games," Claudia finally says and holds up her hand as Ryoko looks ready to start talking again. The poor host looks exhausted by him and desperate to get one question asked in his interview. "We just found out from Lorelei that you have an alliance. How do you feel about all of them?"

As Ryoko grabs the armrests of his chair in excitement, I know he's going to be talking about us for the rest of his interview. I can only hope he doesn't say anything terrible about me. "Well Lorelei is so cool and I look up to her because you know, she's already gone through most of the training which is what I wanted to do. But oh well, change of plans." The crowd laughs at his casualness while Claudia simply sits back in her chair and uses the armrest to prop her chin on her hand as she just lets him ramble on. "Glacia is crazy good at using weapons and man, she's going to kick so much butt tomorrow in the games." I'm sure Glacia is so happy at this comment next to me but I don't dare look over to see her response as the crowd has their attention on us once more. "And Lance is a great guy and fun to be around. Ardos is also a nice guy and the way he acts towards Anabel is so nice but also a little overbearing at times but he's like an older brother to her so it's okay." Glacia looks around me at Ardos and I follow her gaze to see him looking angry about the statement. I can't get angry about how he described me because it could have been a lot worse. "And Anabel is great! I had so much fun with her in training and we get along so well."

He's not done talking yet about us and continues talking about how he trained together with Anabel before the buzzer goes off, causing him to stop talking. Claudia instantly looks happy about this and sits up, "Thank you, Ryoko, for that riveting description of your allies." Ryoko waves at the laughing crowd and quickly returns to his seat, Claudia looking happy about this. As the crowd starts to quiet down, I realize that Glacia is up next after being distracted by Ryoko's crazy interview. I look over at her to see her take a deep breath and seem to mentally prepare herself. "Now everyone please join me in welcoming from District Two, Glacia Skylar!"

The crowd cheers as she stands up and I watch as she holds her head high and begins to make her way to the stairs. She slowly makes her way down the few stairs and I watch her to see if she will show any nervousness. But sure enough, once she's on the solid floor of the stage, she's waving at the crowd and I can see on the screens that she's smirking at them. Yeah she has her act together right now. With the wave from her the crowd cheers louder as she reaches Claudia and shakes her hand.

The host looks pleased with her next person and gestures to the seat. The crowd quiets down as Glacia sits down and I can see that they're all watching her intently. Claudia wastes no time in starting the interview as Glacia relaxes and looks completely at ease with being interviewed right now. "Alright, Glacia, you were pretty excited at the Reaping when you were picked."

"Of course," Glacia interrupts during Claudia's brief pause. The smirk on her face seems to get bigger and I wonder if Claudia is going to ask everything to make Glacia seem great.

Claudia raises an eyebrow at Glacia's attitude but seems happy with it as she continues. "Want to explain why?"

"Gladly," Glacia answers with a chuckle. She looks completely please right now at this interview and I cross my arms as I sit back in my chair, wishing she would mess up. "Getting picked was exactly what I wanted to happen. I want to be here competing in the games and now that I'm 18, it was my last chance."

"And the rumor is," Claudia adds before pausing to create suspense and Glacia watches her curiously. "You were going to be the chosen female volunteer this year in District Two. Is that correct?"

Glacia looks absolutely smug about this and I almost roll my eyes when I notice Darach smirking out in the audience. "It is. I've been training for years and the victors of District Two thought I would be the best female to compete this year in the Quell. Well, until President Xavier announced that there would be no volunteers."

Both of them laugh at this and Claudia adds to Glacia's comment, "Well clearly, not even the President could stop you from competing!" The crowd starts laughing at this and as I look over to see the President with just a hint of a smile on his face, I wish he would have managed to stop Glacia from being in the games. It would have made it so much easier for me to try to win. Claudia waits for the crowd to die down before continuing. "But what about your score? You did not receive the highest, despite your training. In fact, your District partner received the same score."

Finally, Claudia has asked Glacia something that doesn't make her seem like the perfect tribute. And she even managed to throw in something that will help me out! I watch as Glacia tries to control her anger at this with the briefest looks out at Darach in the crowd. She keeps her face blank but from being with her the past few days, I can see the anger in her eyes. "Well Claudia, I don't think the score is an accurate representation of my abilities. The scores are a starting point for people to place bets but that all changes as soon as the games start."

Her statement is so bold that it leaves the crowd in complete silence. Claudia is giving her a surprised look and even I'm shocked that she is implying that the Gamemakers were wrong. If any other person did that, surely they would have doomed themselves on the first day. But Glacia? Well, looking up at Lisia, it's hard to tell but I think Glacia will somehow still be fine. "Are you saying Lisia Arune gave you the wrong score?" Claudia finally says after a few seconds of silence in the City Circle.

Glacia somehow keeps her attention fully on Claudia and I don't know how she resists the urge to look over at Lisia. And she gives the host the most casual shrug, as if she didn't just insult the Head Gamemaker. "You can interpret what I said however you want."

Claudia waits to see if Glacia will continue and I shake my head a little at how bold she is. It's moments like this that remind me that she really does have the ability to turn into a ruthless killer and win these games. Claudia lets the topic drop and moves on to a new topic, one I wish she wouldn't have. "Now, I know everyone has been dying for me to ask you this since the Reaping," she pauses to laugh at her poor choice of words and I find myself hating that people in the crowd can laugh at a joke about dying given the games start tomorrow. But the host quickly becomes serious as she looks at Glacia. "Your grandmother is Sylvia Skylar, oldest living victor in District Two. Many of us in the Capitol love her and view her as an old friend. How does she feel about you being here?"

Glacia's face is blank as every camera focuses on her, wanting to catch any reaction she has about her grandmother. And quite impressively, she puts on a confident face to answer them. "She is worried, of course. Any family member should be worried about a relative in the games, even if they are as prepared as I am." She pauses for a few seconds before a fire lights in her eyes and she turns her gaze to the camera and speaks to it, "But she understands that this is something that I need to do and supports me, knowing I will fight as hard as I possibly can to make sure I become the victor." She turns her attention back to Claudia, the crowd completely silent once more as they listen to each word she says. "For her."

The crowd starts clapping at this, louder than before and I know being related to a victor is giving her a huge advantage. As much as I hate the idea, I know I need to talk more about Maylene after seeing the crowd's reaction to a victor who won years ago and wasn't even a career. Luckily, I have a good emotional story to talk about with her.

Claudia almost looks as if she won't stay neutral before speaking up. "I have time for one last question. What should we expect from you in the games?"

Glacia gets that typical smirk on her face that I hate and takes a couple seconds before answering her. "Well I won't tell you any details about my plans if that's what you're trying to get me to talk about," she winks at the crowd as they laugh at this statement. I'm left astounded at how much they love her. "But be prepared for me to make these games the most exciting to happen in years."

The crowd immediately starts cheering at this and continue to do so as the buzzer goes off for the end of her interview. Glacia stands up and waves at them, causing the cheers to become even louder. If that was actually possible. Claudia has to shout over them, "Thank you, Glacia!" My District partner starts return to her seat, her whole body showing off the confidence she has right now.

I uncross my arms as she walks up the stage, knowing everyone will be watching me very soon. Even once she's sitting, the crowd is still cheering for her. Why did I get stuck having to go after her? I now have to try extra hard to impress the crowd but even then, she just might have the most sponsors. I tense up as Claudia gets the crowd to start quieting down and prepares to speak. "Next up is Lance Henderson!"

The crowd starts cheering once more, not as loudly as before as I stand up and straighten my suit jacket, knowing that it's now or never. I have to give my best performance ever as if I'm a career tribute like Glacia, my sister, or the many others I've seen from Two in the past. I just have to fake it until I make it through this interview. I walk quickly down the stairs and put my hands in my pockets to appear casual as I walk over to Claudia. I give a lopsided grin at the crowd and I might be imagining it but there might have been more female screams just then. Perhaps I still have a chance at this.

When I reach Claudia, I give her what I hope is a dazzling smile and shake her hand firmly before sitting down next to her. As the crowd starts quieting down, she gives me a smile. "Now this is actually the second time that I've interviewed you."

"Yes," I say with a chuckle, crossing my legs as I lean back in the chair, hoping I look as confident as Glacia just did. "It's been five years since you interviewed me. Back when my sister was competing in her games." I try recalling the other things Roxanne told me to do and continue smiling at Claudia, knowing I can use our previous interview to my advantage. "You know, the only thing that has changed about you has been your hair. Otherwise, you still look just as gorgeous!" I turn to the crowd, knowing that they are a big factor in having a successful interview and don't know exactly where I'm getting my boldness from as I address them. "How does she do it?"

They are laughing at this as I look back at Claudia who gives me a casual wave at this but her cheeks show the faintest hint of pink from my flattery. "Oh stop."

Now that I know this is working, I can't help but keep going with it. "What, you can't be a day over 30. Maybe not even older than 25!"

The crowd continues laughing at this and even Claudia joins in a little, causing me to grin in happiness that I'm doing well so far. "If you knew my age, you would not be saying all these flattering things to me," she says around laughter before trying to get serious. "But this interview is about you this time." The host pauses for a few seconds to compose herself before continuing. "Now last time I interviewed you, you were quite worried about your sister if I remember correctly."

"Oh I was terrified for her," I openly admit, knowing that they already know this information and might as well use it to my advantage. "She was fighting not just for her life but to keep me safe."

"Of course," Claudia responds to this. "I think we were all moved by the touching story of her fighting for you." She pauses to let the crowd shout out agreements with this and I'm happy to see them working in my favor. "So I have to ask you: how does Maylene feel now that you are competing in the games after she struggled to win?"

I think for a second how my sister will be reacting to this and I know she must be so worried right now. But I have to phrase her concern for me in a way that will win over the crowd. "Well I'm sure she's even more worried than I was five years ago. We do know just how much she will do when she is concerned about me," I add and chuckle a little at this, earning some laughs from the crowd as well. It hits me then how I can turn this into me being confidence and I start smirking at Claudia as I continue. "But you can just ask her how she feels when you reach the interviews for the Final Eight."

Claudia laughs a little at this as the crowd cheers in excitement at the thought of an interview with a recent victor. "I imagine that I will be spending a lot of time in District Two this year for interviews. I do always love to visit the victors and I know everyone else here in the Capitol would love to see Maylene once more." The crowd gets loud at this and she points a finger at me. "Don't disappoint us and leave us without an opportunity to interview her!"

"Oh I won't because I can't let her down and that means making it to being a victor," I respond coolly to her and know I gave a perfect response that mimics the careers that are normally here.

But Claudia apparently can't let me have an interview without bringing up something bad. "Now Lance, you did hesitate at the Reaping."

"Yeah and that means nothing now," I interrupt her before she can get much farther in making me look bad. I lean forward to sit up straight, putting my head held high as I try to make the Capitol see how different I am from the boy who was picked. "I was shocked that my name had been drawn since the chances were so low. More than half the tributes here also hesitated," I gesture behind us to the people sitting behind me and feel a little bad about using them to make myself look better but I need to make sure the Capitol wants me to win. "It means nothing now and I'm not going to hesitate again."

Claudia nods her head at this statement and the crowd is loud in excitement about it. Yet I'm not sure if I will be able to not hesitate in the games. "I'm sure that confidence right there is what got you that 9 in training." Her acknowledgement of my confidence and score has me grinning as she continues. "Now that is a very high score from someone who presumably has no training if Maylene did manage to keep you away from it. So can you let us in on what has happened in the three days of training?"

I shake my head at this, still smiling as I point up to the Gamemakers. "No can do. I don't think Miss Arune up there would be too happy about it." I pause to look over to see her smirking and shaking her finger at us. Just the reaction I needed. The crowd is laughing at this exchange as I turn my gaze back to Claudia, aware that I'm probably almost out of time. "You'll just have to wait until tomorrow. I plan on keeping everyone on the edge of their seats waiting to see what happens next."

"I can hardly wait," Claudia says as the crowd goes crazy over my response. The buzzer sounds and I smile out at the crowd and wave to them, causing them to become louder. Claudia once again tries to talk over them and has to shout to be heard, much like when Glacia's interview ended. "Thank you, Lance!"

I start to return back to my seat as the crowd continues cheering for me and I feel content in knowing that I did well. Hopefully I did well enough to win over enough sponsors. Once I reach the top of the stairs, I look over at Glacia and can see pure hatred for me in her eyes. I didn't just do well at my interview. I did great if she's reacting this way to me.

I'm smirking as I take my seat next to her, feeling relaxed knowing that my interview is over and I did as well as her. Clearly she had been hoping to have the most memorable interview tonight but I couldn't let that happen. Not when I have a sister who has already fought for me waiting at home.

Claudia finally gets the crowd to settle down so that she can continue on with the interviews. Their continued excitement reassures me that I did well and I can count on getting some sponsors. And I bet once I leave the alliance, I'll have even more because I'm creating drama with Glacia. "Alright, alright, quiet down," Claudia jokes around with the crowd, still looking like a cheerful host. "We have a lot of interviews to get through tonight and if you keep this up, our tributes won't be able to get any sleep and we want them to be well rested for tomorrow! Now let's welcome to the stage Phoebe Thane from District Three!"

The girl to my right stands up and I can see on her face that she is nervous about this interview as she walks past me. I keep my attention on her, wanting to see how Caitlin's allies will do at their interviews tonight as it can make a difference to her staying safe until I reach her. Once she reaches her seat, she gives Claudia a small smile. "Hello."

"Hello, Phoebe," Claudia responds and gives her a reassuring smile before doing what she does best: helping out a tribute who is clearly struggling with the crowd. "So Phoebe, you got a 6 in training. That's a pretty high score for someone your age."

I watch Phoebe on the screens and can see her face light up a little at the question and I have to struggle to hide the fact that I'm a little proud that Caitlin has an ally who did well. A 6 is not very common for someone who is from District Three, especially when they're 14. "I didn't expect to earn that high of a score," Phoebe answers honestly to the host, still looking a little nervous. "I think it's only because I had the help from my allies in training."

"And who are your allies?" Claudia asks right away and pauses before continuing. "Or do we not get to know because it's top secret?"

Phoebe laughs at this joke and some in the crowd also laugh at this. I catch myself as I start smiling about Phoebe relaxing and try to appear as a casual career. "It's no secret at all. Besides, the games start tomorrow so even if it was, you would all know very soon. But my allies are Caitlin and Lyra."

The cameras briefly cut to the two girls, showing them looking proud at being an ally with Phoebe. Claudia turns to look at them before returning her gaze to Phoebe, nodding her head approvingly. "Ah what a variety of skills you have between all of you. You're all from three very different Districts." Claudia pauses as Phoebe nods her head in agreement at this statement. "So speaking of Districts, can you tell us what life is like for you back in Three?"

I can see already that people in the crowd are growing bored as Claudia moves on to a typical question. But Phoebe seems unaware of this and answers happily, seemingly past her nervousness. "My family isn't too special since it's just me and my parents. But I enjoy it in Three and like the mental challenges that are presented to us with technology. I was even near the top of my class and that's quite the accomplishment in District Three."

Some in the crowd laugh at this statement and Phoebe is grinning as Claudia continues. "Do you think you will be able to apply that brain power in the games?"

"Definitely," Phoebe answers immediately. "Between my knowledge, Caitlin's skills within the forest, and Lyra's strength, we're going to be a force to watch out for in the games!"

"Well I am looking forward to watching you three," Claudia responds and I can't tell if she actually is looking forward to it or if she's just a really good actor. Probably a combination of the two. The buzzer sounds and she fakes looking disappointed for a second before smiling at the crowd. "Unfortunately, we are out of time so everyone please give a round of applause for Phoebe!"

The crowd gives a moderate amount of applause as Phoebe returns to her seat and I take in her outfit, appreciating that her stylist put her in a short black dress that seems more appropriate for her age and didn't dress her up. She gave a decent interview, nothing spectacular but it would be hard for anyone to follow up after the interviews of two people related to victors.

I'm almost ready to start zoning out from the interviews as Claudia continues on, knowing that I will be up here for a long time. "Next up is Phoebe's District partner, Wattson Ered!" But as the small boy walks past me, looking out of place in his black tuxedo, I can't turn away from him. Not when I start feeling guilty knowing that he won't make it through the games. He deserves to at least have my attention for three minutes.

He seems to be feeling the complete opposite of Phoebe and is waving at the crowd as he walks to the seat. It is clear on Claudia's face that she is worried that she will have another Ryoko. But he shakes her hand and gives her a big smile. "Hello, should we get started?"

The crowd laughs at this and Claudia seems to relax a little that he wants to answer her questions. "That's supposed to be my line!" She jokes with him and the crowd loves it before she gets the interview started. "But yes, let's get started since we only have three minutes. So how do you think life in District Three has prepared you for the games?"

Wattson is grinning as he answers her and I feel a pang in my heart that he was selected for these games. He's so young and seems to be happy about life. "Well my goal was to eventually become a manager at the tech company that my parents worked at. So I guess you could say that I'm a people person. I may not have the strength of some of the other tributes but I do know how to win over a crowd."

It's clear that his words are accurate as the crowd chuckles at this statement and I can tell they're paying attention to him, a feat normally not accomplished by someone who is 13. He's already doing better than Phoebe. Claudia seems a little surprised by this but continues on, doing her job as host. "That's an important skill to have in the games. We've seen many times how a sponsor gift can mean the difference between life and death. Now you did mention that you don't have strength. Aren't you concerned about that?"

Wattson chuckles at this before answering. "Well it would be dumb to not be a little worried about not being strong for the games and we all know that people from District Three are not dumb." The crowd laughs loudly at this and he grins out at them. But I find myself continuing to feel sad about him. This really just isn't fair that he has to be here and I take a moment to make sure my face is clear of any emotions. "I know I'm small and can't take on some of the bigger tributes but I think Eldes and I can outsmart them and surprise everyone."

"Are you and Eldes allies?" Claudia asks him curiously and I look down the line at the small boy from Six. He looks scared of being in front of the crowd but straightens up in his chair at being mentioned.

"We are," Wattson says with a nod. "I know some people are probably thinking that they don't need to be afraid of us since we're young and didn't score a 9 like some of the others." I can't lie, this is exactly what I was thinking about them when I wasn't pitying them for being chosen. "But we both haven't given up yet and we are going to fight until the very end."

The crowd surprisingly claps at this and he smiles out at them as the buzzer goes off. Somehow, this young boy gave a great interview. Claudia smiles at him as he stands up. "That is very brave of you two. That concludes our interview with Wattson of District Three!" Claudia waits for the boy to walk back to his seat before addressing the crowd once more. "Now that we are done with District Three, we get to hear from the tributes of District Four. Up next is the girl we heard so much about earlier from Ryoko," the crowd laughs at this and I chuckle a little with them. "Please welcome Anabel Rhetter."

I watch as Anabel stands up and makes her way past me, her nervousness displayed on her face. But she does try to stay confident as she walks across the stage, dress and cape trailing behind her. She might not think she has the crowd's attention but as I look out at them as she sits down, they're all watching her. "Welcome, Anabel," Claudia starts as soon as the young girl is sitting next to her. She pauses for a few seconds before beginning the interview, aware like always of the interviewee's nervousness. "So tell me a little about what your life is like back in District Four."

Anabel looks a bit happier at this question and I question how Claudia always seems to know what to say to get people to feel comfortable on stage with her. "My family is just my parents, my older brother Rickard, and myself. We live right by the sea," she looks at Claudia wistfully and I'm sure it's over the memories of home. I find myself feeling the same when I recall life back in Two. "I think while growing up I spent more time in the water than I did on land!"

Claudia smiles at Anabel and just like that, Anabel is grinning and seems to be mostly relaxed on the stage. "Then we should hope that there's lots of water in the arena for you!" Anabel laughs at this and I start grinning at the young girl who has changed so much since I met her on the first day of training. Claudia waits a few seconds before continuing with her questions. "So did you ever do any training in Four?"

Claudia's face is hopeful for a trained tribute but soon shows slight disappointment when Anabel shakes her head. She gives the host a small smile," No, I never really wanted to. It just never was something I thought about." Something makes her pause and she almost looks like she wants to laugh before continuing, "But I was always content to watch Rickard and Ardos train together."

"Are those two friends?" Claudia asks curiously and I find myself also wanting to hear more. I knew that her brother and Ardos were friends but hadn't heard anything else about it. So it is interesting to hear more about my other ally from Four.

Anabel lets out a carefree laugh at this question and I smile a little that she now feels comfortable on the stage. "Oh they're not friends, they are practically brothers! In fact, I even view Ardos as a brother."

The cameras turn to Ardos for a few seconds and he is smiling proudly at Anabel who is relaxed as Claudia continues. "Is that why he was so protective at the Reaping? I've been wondering about his reaction ever since then."

"Yes, that is why," Anabel lets out a sigh at this and I can see on her face that she has become sad at this question. "And that makes being in the games even harder. It's one thing to be fighting against complete strangers. But being there with someone you've known your whole life?" She stops and I feel terrible that she is forced to be here with someone who is basically family. If the Quell wouldn't have forbidden volunteers, all three of us never would have been here.

Claudia seems to genuinely care about what Anabel is saying and smiles sadly at the young girl. "I can only imagine how hard that is for you." The buzzer goes off as Anabel smiles back at her. "Thank you, Anabel, for joining us tonight." The young girl makes her way back across the stage as the crowd cheers for her. While she might not have been impressive like Glacia with her training, Anabel did just win over the crowd by appealing to their emotions. Claudia's mood flips completely once Anabel is in her seat, "Now let's hear from her District partner and close friend, Ardos Vittomere!"

The crowd is once again as excited as they were when Glacia and I were being interviewed. Ardos stands up right away and adjusts the jacket of his navy suit as he makes his way down the stairs, smiling and waving a little at the crowd as he approaches. But I can see the apprehension that he is trying to hide on his face. He clearly is not happy about being here and having to reveal his weakness with Anabel in front of the others. But if he's smart, he'll use this to win over the crowd.

Claudia wastes no time in getting the interview started once Ardos is sitting down and looking apprehensive about this. "Welcome, Ardos. Now that has to be tough, being here with Anabel."

"It is," he says quietly with a nod of his head, still looking unsure about how much to say right now. "She is the little sister that I never actually had."

Claudia knows that she has him hooked on this topic and seems determined to get as much information about them as possible. Suddenly, the pair from District Four just got a lot more exciting in the Capitol and might be able to compete against us for sponsors. "So how did you meet her?"

"Well we're actually neighbors," Ardos says and seems to have decided that he doesn't want to dive into too much detail with his answers. "I've known Rickard from a young age so I guess I met her when she was a baby."

"Anabel had mentioned that you and her brother trained together," Claudia says and I can see on her face that she's trying to find something that will get Ardos to give out more information. But he shouldn't, the short answers are going to make him more mysterious.

"We sure did," he says and starts to smirk a little before continuing, "And we sure did cause trouble together in training."

Claudia's face lights up as she realizes she has him hooked on something and presses on. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

Ardos lets out a short laugh and seems to be recalling memories. "Probably both. We were definitely the best of the boys our age and thought that meant we could mess around and cause trouble." He gives a shrug at this and chuckles. "But the trainers liked us and I always thought it would be a struggle for them to decide on just one of us to volunteer when we were 18."

I look out at the crowd as Claudia thinks of a response for a few seconds and can see that they also love him. He might not be as old and as trained as Glacia but he will be just as much of a threat to me. Yet I still like him way more than Glacia because he cares so much about Anabel. Claudia seems to have found a way to use his response to help him out. "I suppose they won't have that hard decision anymore. Instead, you could be his mentor when he volunteers."

Ardos is laughing at this suggestion and it's clear that he is becoming more comfortable with opening up to the crowd. "Now that would be interesting. The other tributes wouldn't have a clue what hit them." The crowd laughs at this and I'm sure some are already hoping that in a couple years they will get to see Rickard here. Who knows if he will want to after these games end but he surely would win over many sponsors because of these two from Four.

Claudia smiles at him and gives a quick glance to the side of the stage before continuing with the interview. "Now I have time for one last question." She pauses, seemingly to create drama as she becomes more solemn. "Clearly being here with Anabel is difficult," Ardos nods his head in confirmation as his good mood starts disappearing. "What did you say to Rickard before you left Four?"

The City Circle is silent as everyone waits to hear what Ardos's response will be. He lets out a small sigh before answering, his face showing that he doesn't want to answer but knows he has to for the sponsors. "I promised him that I would protect her."

The buzzer sounds in the silence left by his response. Claudia puts on a sad face as she acknowledges him. "Thank you, Ardos." She turns to the crowd and motions for Ardos to return to his seat. "Let's hear it for Ardos!"

His face is closed off of emotion as he returns to his seat and I watch him, noticing the small struggle he is facing to keep all emotion from showing. As he returns to his seat, Anabel takes his hand and leans over to whisper to him. He says something back as Claudia introduces the girl from Five but I can't pay attention to her as she walks past me, gray cape almost getting caught on my feet. All I can think about is the pair sitting two seats down from me that are going to lose each other in the games. Even if one of them manages to win, they have to return home to Rickard knowing they couldn't protect the other. But if they don't, that's a family who essentially is losing two kids.

Why do the games have to break up families?

My stomach feels terrible as I start thinking about how many families are going to be destroyed in the next few days. I can't let that happen to Maylene yet I don't want to be the person a mother curses for taking the life of her daughter or the reason someone will never get to be married and have their own family. But I want that for myself. I don't want to make Maylene suffer any more than she already has.

The interview with the girl from Five passes by in a blur as I deal with the inner turmoil of knowing I have to kill to win these games and not wanting to do that to someone. And I never should have become close to Anabel and Ardos because now I'm going to feel incredibly guilty when something happens to them.

As the boy from Five gets called up, I find myself dreading the rest of these interviews. I can't sit through and keep hearing about everyone's families and what life is like for them back in their District. It will only make tomorrow that much harder. Luckily the boy who almost discovered me and Caitlin last night makes it easy to ignore him as he gives very brief answers.

I look out at the mentors and make eye contact with Roxanne who was already watching me curiously. She gives me a comforting smile and I try to block out the terrible feeling in my stomach. I can't be thinking about these things if I want to live. I must fight first and then mourn for the lives I took when I am safe from harm. The girl from Six goes up to Claudia as I realize exactly why some victors are effected so much by their actions in the games. I haven't even stepped into the arena yet and I already feel guilty about what I will do once the gong rings. I can only hope that instincts will take over and keep me safe. But at least if I am victorious, I will be going home to a sister who knows what it is like to go through the games.

Despite my efforts to ignore the interviews, I can't help but have my attention drawn back in as Claudia calls the small boy from Six up. He is a stark contrast from his ally Wattson that I instantly feel pity for the scared boy. Claudia immediately gives him a gentle smile as he timidly sits down. "Hello, Eldes."

He looks around at the crowd, panic on his face as he answers her greeting. "H-h-h-hi," he stutters out before adjusting the collar of his shirt that is being folded uncomfortably against the tan suit that looks out of place on him.

"There's no need to be nervous," Claudia tries to get him to relax but it doesn't seem to be working on him. "I promise I'm a nice person. Can't say much about Elliot but at least he's not the one interviewing you."

The crowd of course laughs at Claudia making a joke at her co-hosts expense and the cameras cut over to him shaking his head at her on the balcony with the Gamemakers. But it gets Eldes to smile a little as he responds to this claim. "He seems pretty nice to me from watching him in past games."

"Ehh I guess, but you haven't worked with him from years," she continues to tease before looking up at a pouting Elliot and waving at him. "Oh I'm just messing with you." The crowd loves this teasing with their hosts and it's clear that Eldes is becoming less nervous as Claudia takes the attention away from him. But I still notice how small he is and glance over at Glacia next to me, her arms crossed and showing muscles from years of training. Eldes doesn't stand a chance against her or any of the older tributes. "But enough joking about my co-host. Can you tell me a little about your family back in District Six?"

I turn my attention back to Eldes, once again feeling obligated to give him my attention for these few minutes like I did with his ally Wattson earlier. This could very well be his last day alive and he deserves to not be overlooked. Claudia's question about home seems to have worked to break him out of his nervousness, just like every time she asks a tribute the same thing. "Well I'm the youngest of four so my siblings like to pick on me a little, but that's just how siblings are. I love my family and wouldn't change a thing about them."

Claudia continues to smile encouragingly at him, clearly happy that she was able to get him to stop being as nervous. And even though she might be the host for a fight to the death, Claudia clearly seems to care about her job and making sure everyone can make a good impression. "Then is it safe to say that they are one of the biggest reasons for you to fight and win?"

"They're _the_ biggest reason," he answers right away and looks sad as he thinks for a few seconds. He continues, much quieter this time. "I have to return home to them."

His tone breaks my heart and my guilt is renewed about the games. There's no way he will end up winning. Even Claudia seems to be aware of this and looks as if she's struggling to figure out what to say so that she doesn't make him an empty promise about how he can win. "Now earlier, Wattson mentioned you're his ally. What do you think of him?"

This question seems to get him to cheer up a bit and I'm glad that he was able to find a friend here in the Capitol. I want the younger tributes to be happy during their last few days, just like how I feel towards Anabel. "He's brilliant, of course, but that's not really a surprise for someone from Three. But he's also just a great person to be around. Somehow he always finds a way to make you smile."

"I definitely saw that in the short time that I was able to interview him," Claudia answers with a smile and momentarily falls silent as she thinks of what to ask him next. I don't know how she can respond with such ease to everyone but I suppose she's had years of practice. "Well Eldes, one last question. What should we expect from you two in the games?"

Eldes takes a couple minutes to think about this and even glances back at Wattson before answering, confident about his response. "Expect to be surprised by our survival skills and ability to stay alive!" The crowd applauds a little at this and I wonder if they also realize that the two don't really have a chance but want to make him believe he really does have a chance.

The time ends for his interview and the crowd quiets a little to allow Claudia to speak. "I will be looking forward to it. Thank you, Eldes." The boy returns to his seat as the crowd claps for him and I want to feel bad for him. But as Claudia gets ready to bring the next person out, I realize that we're already up to District Seven and I have to pay attention to the next person. "Alright, we are continuing on with the interviews and next up is District Seven. Our first tribute is Caitlin Desmond!"

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 **If you want more information about the stories, please go to my website at** **thefifthquarterquell . weebly .com** **! It is now updated through Chapter 9!**


	10. Interviews Part 2

**Welcome to the 125th Hunger Games!**

 **Just a few things before the story begins. A reminder that this is one story out of two that are taking place during the same time. So if you are reading this story first and plan on reading the other, you may want to read the same chapter from the other in order to avoid spoilers to the character.**

 **I will update the stories on the same day, that way once the games start you can choose which story to read first as there will be some spoilers about what might happen to the other character.**

 **I'll let you begin the story. As always, please review and let me know what you think, good or bad. Any comments are good comments.**

 **Let the Games begin!**

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 **Chapter 10:**

I can't take my eyes off Caitlin as she makes her way down to the stage, looking graceful despite the dress lingering near her feet and posing a risk of tripping her. She looks absolutely gorgeous as she keeps her head held high as the crowd cheers for her and I know that they are surely thinking she's attractive. Well too bad for them, I'm the one who has won her attention.

Caitlin is smiling as she approaches Claudia, showing that courage that she had last night when she confronted the boy from Five. But the host doesn't let Caitlin sit down just yet. "Wow that dress you are wearing tonight is amazing," she jumps up from her spot to take a closer look at it.

Caitlin looks surprised at the response from Claudia but quickly recovers to give an answer. "I was a little unsure about the thigh slit and thought the neckline was a little risqué but I definitely like it."

"Oh well I love it. No need to worry about being risqué here in the Capitol," Claudia responds and gets a chuckle from the crowd. She clasps her hands together and stares at the dress for a couple more seconds as Caitlin starts to grow a little uncomfortable at still standing. "Can you give us all a quick twirl?"

Caitlin raises an eyebrow at this request but continues smiling at the host. "Of course," she answers and takes a couple steps forward before giving a twirl, dress flowing around her. I have to fight to keep the awe off of my face as the crowd loves her dress because she really does look beautiful tonight.

Claudia claps a couple times before motioning towards the chairs and sitting down with Caitlin who is still looking unsure about why Claudia has picked her to show off her dress. But she seems to like the crowd cheering for her and relaxes as Claudia finally starts the interview. "Thank you for appeasing me and my fashion obsessed heart. I must talk to your stylist after this." I glance out at the stylists and find Caitlin's right away by the fact that he looks like he might pass out in joy at having her work be acknowledged by Claudia. "Now back to the games. I talked to one of your allies earlier, Phoebe. And I will be talking to Lyra soon. I'm a little curious. Who was the one who started the alliance?"

"I did," Caitlin answers, finally looking relaxed that she is getting asked about the games and something she knows about, not just her dress. And she was the one who talked to Lyra but no need to mention that I was the one her told her to talk to Phoebe. "I knew I would need the help of allies once I got in the arena, just like a lot of the other people before me have mentioned. The games are very risky and these two help balance out my weaknesses so I think we make a great team."

I almost start smiling at the fact that she has a third ally that she can't mention before I remind myself that I'm on stage and everyone can see me. I can't give away our secret alliance just yet. Claudia is looking happy about having a person that is willing to answer the questions and really talk about the games. "Well you did earn the highest score out of your alliance. A 7, no less. Clearly you don't have too many weaknesses if you did that well."

"Oh I do," she says and I wonder where she's going with this as it usually isn't the best idea to announce your weaknesses in front of everyone. "You see, one of them is that I don't like seafood. If we're in an arena surrounded by the ocean, well, clearly that will be a weakness."

She managed to get Claudia and the crowd laughing at this joke and Claudia feigns being offended. "You don't like seafood? That's it, you just lost every sponsor that likes the District Four tributes!"

Caitlin chuckles at this and nudges Claudia's arm, seeing completely relaxed with her. "I don't think I ever had them seeing as I'm not from Four. But I can surely win over someone who appreciates a good mahogany dining table!"

This comment has the edges of my lips turning up in a smile. She really is doing well handling all of Claudia's remarks and just like with Anabel, she has grown more confident since I first met her. Claudia is laughing and trying to get the crowd to quiet back down. "Alright, alright, we can talk about lobster and furniture later. Let's get back to talking about the games." She looks at Caitlin and pauses for a couple seconds as the crowd quiets down. "Now we were talking about your alliance and your score. So earlier Phoebe had mentioned that she had help in training from her allies. Is it safe to say that you were the one who helped her?"

Caitlin nods at this before explaining, that happy look on her face that she always gets when she talks to me about her allies. She really does like the two girls and I don't want to see her get upset when something happens to them in the arena. "Yes I did. Mostly I showed her how to use an axe because it's basically second nature to know how to use one in Seven. I've put some hours into the forest so I know how to use it pretty well."

"That certainly gives you an advantage over some of the others," Claudia adds to this statement and Caitlin nods her head in agreement.

"It's an advantage that I have every intention of using tomorrow when the games start," her response is so full of confidence that I can't help but be proud of her. And the crowd loves that comment she made. As I look out at the mentors, I see hers also looking proud. But she's also so young, only my age since she won last year. Perhaps that's a reason why the crowd loves Caitlin, they want to see how their most recent victor can train people.

"Oh you have a fire in you to win," Claudia brings up, sounding happy about this interview and Caitlin smirks a little at this comment. "Reminds me of last year when we saw your mentor win. I like it."

Caitlin's face falters a little at having the attention slightly taken away from her but quickly recovers. "She did teach me well. You can't beat the advice from someone who was just in the games because the memories are still fresh about what you need to do to survive." She pauses for a moment to smile out at her mentor before returning her attention to Claudia. "But I have plenty of reasons to fight and win, not just the help of my mentor. Most of it is my own determination and I can promise you that I'll be one to watch out for in the games."

"I could keep asking you questions all night, you're so delightful to talk to," Claudia responds and as she pauses, the time runs out for Caitlin's interview. "Ah, but we are out of time. I will be sure to watch you in the arena. Give a round of applause for Caitlin!" She is beaming as she stands up and waves at the crowd before turning to return to her seat. The crowd cheers loudly for her, more than some of the other outer District tributes and her face shows that she is aware of this and she's grinning as she walks up the stairs. When she reaches the top, she looks down the line of tributes and we make eye contact for a moment and I flash her a half smile, not risking anything more but still wanting her to know that I'm proud of her. She did great and made sure that people won't just overlook her in the games because she's from Seven. Her face gets a small flush across it as she sits down but it can easily pass as her being warm from sitting under the lights on stage.

Claudia continues on with the interviews once Caitlin is sitting and the crowd has once again quieted down. "Let's bring out our next tribute from District Seven, Riley Powell!" The boy walks down, his nervousness showing a little but it's hard to see it when all I can stare at is the dazzling silver suit he has on that matches Caitlin's dress. Claudia wastes no time in getting started once the boy is sitting. "Okay Riley, we just heard from your fiery District partner. Now tell me a little about what fire you're going to bring to the games?"

"Well I can show fierce protectiveness towards those I care about," he answers and I almost laugh at this because I saw it happen the first night I met Caitlin.

"How?" Claudia asks him, letting him carry the conversation for now instead of prompting him with more questions. And it's a smart move for this question as it allows the crowd to learn more about how he might end up fighting.

Riley ponders this for a few seconds before answering. "Well I'll use my little brother Rael as an example. I would do anything to look out for him. Back in Seven, I refused to let him take out any tesserae and would even volunteer in his place if I had to."

"That is very protective and kind of you," Claudia says gently and I know the crowd is going to like him for his willingness to do what needs to be done, even if he isn't strong. What matters to them right now is seeing tributes who are going to be willing to fight tomorrow morning. "Now you had mentioned volunteering. What do you think about the Quell's rule against volunteers?"

Riley gives a casual shrug at this and I know District Seven isn't really affected by it. "Personally it doesn't really change anything for me. If my name was picked any other year, I still would have had to go. We can't all be lucky and live in One or Two where there's guaranteed to be a volunteer," this comment gets the crowd to laugh a little and I find myself once again wishing the Quell rule was something else. "But the only way it would have mattered to me was if Rael had been picked. But I made sure he only had one name in the drawing this year so clearly my plan worked."

Some in the crowd seem moved by his dedication to his brother and I try to avoid thinking about it too much or else I will go back into those depressing thoughts about ruining families and I can't have that mentality when the games start tomorrow. Claudia realizes she has something to keep him talking and so continues on. "And what did your brother think about you being picked?"

Riley gives the host a sad smile before answering her. "He was very upset about he. He made me promise that I would return home to him." The look on his face shows that he doesn't think he has that great of a chance of doing that but didn't want to let his brother down.

Claudia looks relieved when the time ends before she has to come up with something to say that isn't an empty promise about his chances. "And we are out of time so let's hear it for Riley!" The crowd gives him a decent amount of applause as he returns to his seat but his interview wasn't spectacular to make himself memorable once the games actually start. But I can't worry about him, not when I have to worry about myself and Caitlin. "Let's bring out our next tribute, Cynthia Vance from District Eight!"

I watch the young girl slowly make her way down to Claudia, looking sad and apprehensive about the interview. And I can understand why she would be feeling that way since there have been quite a few good interviews so far. Why should the fourteen-year-old from Eight expect to do well? Claudia seems to notice this, always attentive to the people she is interviewing. "Alright Cynthia, shall we get started? Now your dress is also very lovely tonight."

The girl glances down at her dress and I also pay attention to it, noticing that it's a nice short dress with gold embroidery, nothing too over the top for a girl her age. But clearly she doesn't agree as she shrugs at the host. "I suppose it is."

If Claudia is shocked by Cynthia's response, she doesn't show it and continues on, "Do you not agree?"

"I'm just not a big fan of the dressing up part of the games," Cynthia replies sadly and I start feeling bad for her. This is a girl who has clearly accepted what her outcome will most likely be for her. "I guess I would rather just started with the fighting already."

Claudia doesn't let her smile waiver but it's clear in her eyes that she is uncomfortable with a person who wants the fighting to start but not for the same reasons as the careers. "Well, that will be starting very soon. You just have to get through a three minute interview with me." The host is starting to looking uncomfortable with this interview but I just feel bad for this girl who has accepted death. "So would you say you feel prepared for the games then if you're ready for the fighting to start?"

"About as ready as a girl with no training can be," Cynthia responds unhappily to the host and I look around at the crowd, noticing many whispering to each other with expressions of discomfort at Cynthia.

"Clearly you're not completely unprepared," Claudia tries to get Cynthia to improve her mood but I watch the young girl's face and can tell nothing will get to her. "You must have done well in training, otherwise you wouldn't have earned a 6."

Cynthia simply shrugs at this, seemingly not impressed by earning that score. I would have been happy with that score when I was first picked. "I guess I'll be a bit more prepared then I think I am once the fighting gets started tomorrow."

Claudia starts to show that she's struggling with this interview and I can't pay attention anymore. Not when listening to Cynthia makes me feel down about the games. I don't need that right now. What I need is to remind myself of how well I did and keep feeling confident about my chances. Otherwise I'll never win.

I allow myself a quick glance at Caitlin as Claudia continues asking Cynthia questions. She appears relaxed and is watching the interview apprehensively. But she still looks beautiful, possibly even more beautiful than when I first met her because there's a confidence to her now. I turn my gaze away as the time ends with Cynthia and Claudia looks relieved to move on. "That's a lovely idea you have, thank you, Cynthia," she says and I have no clue what they were just talking about. But the young girl returns to her seat and the host moves on to the boy from District Eight as I start thinking about tomorrow.

What type of arena will they put us in? I turn my attention to the Gamemakers and notice Lisia is watching the boy attentively, a mischievous look on her face. Surely she is planning things to happen in the games as she listens to us. But what type of arena has she built for us? Surely it will be something spectacular. She's already proven that she is determined to make this Quell memorable. I just hope it isn't like Roxanne's games where she had to worry about parts of the arena coming alive in addition to the other people fighting. But I also wouldn't want something like the terraces full of hot springs like Maylene had to deal with. It was hard to hide in that arena and I don't want to have to worry about Caitlin staying hidden. I glance out at the mentors, thinking about if I had to be put in one of their arenas, which one I would pick. The answer is none of them but I suppose Darach's wouldn't be too bad. It wasn't until the finale that the mountains were revealed to be volcanoes so I suppose the arena wouldn't be too bad until that point.

The crowd starts clapping and I tune back in to Claudia to hear her bring out the next girl. "Alright, next we move on to District Nine with Aislinn Rae!" As the older girl walks out confidently, green cape billowing behind her, I return to fantasizing about the games. I suppose I can speculate all I want about the arena but I won't know until they start tomorrow. I can only hope that we won't be anywhere cold. But the more important part of the arena is what traps and mutts the Gamemakers will have created for us. Watching Lisia's smirking face, my gut tells me that she has some terrible things planned for the games. But by her standards, they will be great entertainment for the Capitol. I don't doubt that these games will be talked about for years. I just have to make sure that I'm part of that conversation.

My eyes go to the platform filled with 20 victors, all but Eleven having two mentors. The ages range greatly from last year's victor at only the age of 18 to the age of 62. Eleven's only victor, Garia, is only a year younger than the oldest victor, but her 61 years show on her face. The poor woman looks exhausted and worn down from the mental toll of being the sole mentor for District Eleven for 46 years. I feel bad as I look at her, knowing that it must be terrible to have watched so many children die over those years. I can barely watch the people die each games but I can't imagine actually knowing two each year. The only mentor there older than her is Moro, the man who won the games for Three a year before Garia. Those two are familiar faces among the mentors, something that is sad for Three and Eleven since they haven't had victors in years. In contrast to them, the mentors for One and Four are all young and fit, clearly among the victors who train tributes. It's unfair that some Districts struggle to have victors but I suppose it's just something that will never change. And unfortunately, I plan on continuing that trend this year.

I make eye contact with Roxanne and receive a smile from her before turning my attention back to the interviews, hoping this will maybe make time go by faster. But I tune in near the start of the second interview from Nine, this time a small boy and I start frowning slightly at this, knowing he is only 13. And it's clear he also knows this disadvantage as he answers something Claudia asked him. "I don't think I stand a good chance against the others. A lot of them are way bigger than I am and a lot stronger. There's only so much a kid who is four and a half feet tall can do against someone that's 18 or close to six feet tall."

I know that I'm one of the people he is talking about in this statement, yet I don't feel threatening at all. Claudia tries to keep him from getting down as she smiles gently at him. "I wouldn't let that discourage you. We have had victors your age. In fact, Galera is here tonight, proof that a thirteen-year-old can win." Everyone looks over at the District Five victor of the 112th games. She waves wearily at this attention before pointing her attention back to the stage, trying to keep everyone focused on the poor boy from Nine who seems unlikely to win.

"Yes, but that doesn't happen very often," Cheren responds to the attention drawn to Galera as I continue to look at her, seeing the exhaustion and pain of the games on her face. She's only 26 yet her she already as the start of frown lines along the edges of her mouth. How many tributes has she had to mentor for? Surely not that many since Five has four victors and they could alternate who is a mentor each year. But there's also the emotional toll of the actual games… Is this who I will become if I win? No, the victors in Two would never let me near their trained tributes.

I realize I'm zoning out once again and turn my attention once again to the young boy as I try to recall what his name is. He's shaking his head at something and Claudia shows some surprise at this. "Really? I think almost everyone I've interviewed so far has had allies so why don't you have any?"

The young boy shrugs at this, his green suit looking big on his small frame. "I didn't want to have any allies," he replies quietly, a sad expression on his face and I start pitying him for being selected for the games at such a young age. As much as I hate the training system in Two, at least on normal years it prevents any kid like him from being chosen and having to die. "I didn't want to feel guilty in the games if someone died in my place. If I live, I don't want my victory to be at the expense of an ally."

I watch Claudia's face at this response from the boy, curious to see how she will react to it. And her smile falters just a tiny bit and I wonder if it's because she's actually feeling some pity towards this boy who will be dead soon or if it's because her interview with him isn't happy and cheerful like the others. "Well Cheren, that's very… brave of you," she finally answers after a few seconds of silence. I commit his name to my memory, wanting to remember everyone by their names and not just their District, something I probably would have done if Caitlin hadn't scolded me about it with her allies a few days ago. And she's right, the rest of Panem won't remember his name in a few weeks so I should make the effort to remember the life that's about to be lost. Claudia continues on, clearly trying to move the interview back in a direction that works for her, "So if you don't have any allies, what is going to be your strategy in the games?"

"I'm going to hide from the others and hope that I can run faster than them if they find me," Cheren replies but doesn't look too convinced with himself that he will be able to achieve this.

"I suppose that will work," Claudia answers tentatively as she looks to the side of the stage, surely wondering about how much time is left. Her face lights up a little and it must be because his time is almost up. "But that won't work forever. Eventually you reach a point in the games where hiding is no longer an option." I watch his face and it's clear that he doesn't believe he will reach this point. I almost hope for him that he doesn't reach this point so I don't have to find him later on and he won't start to get his hopes up that he might be able to win. But before he can respond to Claudia, his time ends and the host smiles at him. "Well thank you, Cheren. Let's hear it for him," she says as the boy starts to return to his seat, earning a small amount of applause from the crowd. Claudia waits patiently for him to sit down before turning to the crowd that has already quieted down. "Next up is District Ten. Now we already heard from her two allies earlier so let's find out more from Lyra Randyl!"

I watch Caitlin's ally walk down the opposite set of stairs, looking nervous as she tries not to trip in the long light pink gown they put her in. The crowd is cheering quite a bit for her and it makes me feel reassured about Caitlin's chances when she is with the two girls. Clearly the Capitol likes her alliance so I can only hope that they will sponsor them and keep them safe. Lyra reaches Claudia and smiles shyly at the host who gives her a warm smile and gestures to the seat. Once Lyra is sitting, the host wastes no time in getting started with the interview. "Well Lyra, how are you feeling tonight?"

Lyra lets out a nervous laugh at this as Claudia leans back and becomes more comfortable in her seat. "Right now? The world is spinning a little from having all of these people watching me."

Claudia leans forward and holds her hands out like she's ready to catch Lyra should anything happen. "Are you going to faint?" she asks her, concerned about that possibility. And Lyra's face does look a little pale right now.

Lyra shakes her head at this, still looking very nervous and Claudia doesn't seem to convinced. "Not if I keep looking at you and pretend the crowd isn't here."

"Then let's do that, just pretend they aren't here. I know Elliot likes to do that sometimes," Claudia jokes around, trying to get Lyra to stop being nervous. The crowd laughs a little at this and Lyra gives Claudia a small smile. "Just let me know if you think you're going to faint so we can make sure you don't fall out of your chair. We don't want you to start the games tomorrow with a concussion." Lyra nods her head in agreement with this and the host begins her questions. "So how about the games tomorrow? How do you feel about them?"

"It's hard to say," Lyra responds with a shrug, her voice a little shaky from nerves but she keeps her attention completely on Claudia. "There are so many things I'm feeling about tomorrow. There is definitely some fear since we are fighting to the death. I'm also a little anxious for it to start since we've spent so much time preparing for them. I'm kind of sitting here like 'Get on with it'!"

This statement gets the crowd to laugh a little and Lyra glances at them, seemingly unsure about if it's a good thing or not. But Claudia also chuckles at it and Lyra seems to relax slightly. "I feel the same way as you! I spend so much time covering the events leading up to the games and analyzing every detail. So at this point, I'm really excited and just can't wait for it to start!" Lyra gives a short laugh at this and Claudia is grinning, aware that she's started to get the girl to be more comfortable. I also start feeling happy because I want to see everyone in Caitlin's alliance do well at the interviews. "So at this point, we've heard from both Phoebe and Caitlin about why they wanted to have this alliance. Now what were your reasons?"

Lyra lets out a nervous chuckle before answering, "Well I really didn't want to go into the arena without any allies. I know I don't have many strengths and wanted to make sure I had others to help fill in my gaps in training." She pauses momentarily and glances back at her two allies, a small smile forming on her face as she looks at them. She returns her attention to Claudia before continuing, "As for why I chose those two, well, back in District Ten, I never really had any friends. I'm rather shy if you couldn't tell by me freaking out over this interview," she chuckles at this and gives another glance out at the crowd, still nervous but less so than at the beginning. "But after I was chosen at the Reaping, I realized that I could very well be living some of my last days and I want to spend them happy and not alone. I was lucky to meet Caitlin and Phoebe in training and I wouldn't want anyone else as my allies."

"Well it sounds to me like you will have a very strong alliance in the games," Claudia says with a smile. "Definitely a trio to watch out for as-" the buzzer interrupts the host from continuing. "Ah, we are unfortunately out of time with Lyra. But you didn't faint!" She says excitedly to Lyra who laughs at this as she stands up. The crowd starts applauding for her, more than they normally would for a shy tribute from an Outer District. It's definitely because she has an interesting alliance. "Thank you, Lyra!" Claudia says before Lyra makes her way back to her seat, face full of relief that the interview is done.

Claudia waits for the crowd to quiet down and I keep my attention fully on her, knowing the next person to be interviewed will be interesting. "And now we have Cyrus Lucreta from District Ten!" The crowd is loud as they welcome the hulking man to the stage, a scowl on his face as he sticks his hands in the pockets of his white suit. I give brief glance over at Glacia as he sits down, wanting to see what she thinks about Cyrus being interviewed. Sure enough, there's a scowl on her face and her arms are crossed, but she's watching him intently.

Cyrus is full of confidence as he sits down and Claudia is looking at him excitedly, surely aware that he is going to be a good tribute to watch in the games. "So Cyrus, oh, you seem like a big strong guy. And you're one of the oldest tributes," Claudia begins, a devious smile on her face as she takes in the guy who I hope I don't have to fight. "So how are you feeling about the games?"

Cyrus starts to lean back in his seat while giving her a casual shrug at this. He has that confidence that I wanted to show in my interview. The only difference is I was faking it and he has it. He crosses his arms and answers her, "I know I'm going to win these things. I'm strong and I have the score to back it up."

Yeah he totally is a person to watch out for in the arena tomorrow. Claudia is even more intrigued by his confidence as she continues asking him questions, finally having another memorable interview. "Yes, the 8 you earned in training was rather impressive, especially for a tribute from District Ten." She takes a brief break, letting his achievement with his score sink in to the crowd. "Now in the arena, will you have any allies to help you out?"

His immediate response is to scoff at this and I start to grow worried about what he is going to say. At least it will probably hurt Glacia more than me because I wasn't the one who rejected him. "No, I don't have any allies. The tributes I wanted to join me would rather waste their time with little kids so whatever. They can babysit while I win these games."

His casual comment about Ryoko and Anabel has me growing frustrated with him, especially because I know those two have learned how to fight. They could be fine on their own if they really wanted to go alone. Claudia's face shows how excited she is about this and presses on, probably hoping to create drama. "And you're referring to…?"

It should be obvious to the crowd who he's talking to but he gives her the answer everyone is waiting for. "Glacia and Lorelei," he pauses and I watch the screens around the City Circle put their attention on Glacia and Lorelei to see their reactions. Glacia is managing to keep her face clear as she surely knows that she is being watched but I can see in her eyes that she is being very calculative about her reaction to Cyrus. Lorelei, on the other hand, doesn't seem to care about keeping her emotions hidden and rolls her eyes at Cyrus. Their reactions are both completely different but it shows Glacia's maturity compared to Lorelei and honestly, it makes me think that Glacia would be better prepared to win. "And I suppose I would have been fine with Ardos too since he has had some training," Cyrus continues, "Not as much as the other two but enough to be worthwhile to me. But they think they're too good to have me in their alliance since they have had training and I haven't. But just wait," he lets out a short laugh at this, his voice full of menace as he continues, "They'll learn very quickly that they shouldn't have rejected my offer."

I'm not sure if I should be offended that he hasn't mentioned me. It's another reminder to the crowd that I haven't trained but it also keeps me off of Cyrus' list of people he has a grudge against. And he has made it obvious that I don't want to be on that list. Claudia is looking thrilled at this interview and is on the edge of her seat. "I just want to be clear here. So you were the one who offered an alliance?"

Cyrus looks annoyed at this question but still gives Claudia her answer. "Yes."

"And they turned you down?" Claudia continues her questioning and I know that she really shouldn't because Cyrus might have another outburst like he did on the last day of training.

Sure enough, Cyrus looks annoyed at this question and rolls his eyes at it. "I'm not sure if it was all of them but it was definitely Glacia. She seems to be the ringleader of the babysitting club that is her alliance." I raise my eyebrows in surprise at him calling out Glacia like that but become even more shocked when he turns around to glare at her. I spare a quick glance at her and see that she is meeting his gaze, refusing to look away and appear weak for it. "Just wait until tomorrow. You better remember the words I told you in training. I'll be waiting to make it happen once the games start."

It's so quiet in the City Circle and it brings chills to me that this many people can be silent, all because of Cyrus' threat. I keep looking back and forth between Cyrus and Glacia, afraid that a fight might break out right here on the stage. But Glacia surprisingly keeps herself composed and doesn't say anything to him. I notice Cyrus start to smirk as he begins to turn back towards the crowd. "Oh I can't wait!"

I turn in shock that Glacia actually said something to him as the crowd goes completely crazy about this. Her face is full of satisfaction and she leans back in her chair, watching the drama unfold on the stage. I look back at Cyrus as Claudia tries to get the crowd to calm down but they refuse, too excited about the fight that will happen. As the crowd continues to shout, I feel myself growing anxious about the games tomorrow. Glacia is so aware of how to get the crowd controlled that she could probably win on sponsors alone. But she has the training which makes her the biggest threat. Why must it be almost guaranteed that I will have to fight her? There's almost no way I'll be able to beat her.

The time runs out on Cyrus' interview before the crowd quiets down and Claudia yells out at them. "Everyone, please, calm down!" But the crowd won't listen to the poor host who turns her attention to Cyrus and waves him away. "Cyrus, you can go back to your seat." The host stands up once Cyrus has started to make his way back and I notice several Peacekeepers stepping out to prevent a potential fight from happening. This is absolutely crazy and I have never seen anything like this happen during the interviews.

Claudia puts her hands on her hips as she stands near the front of the stage and the crowd finally starts to quiet down as they notice her looking annoyed. "I know you are all excited about the games starting tomorrow and I am with you," she beings once she can be heard over the crowd. "But we still have two more tributes that need to be interviewed. Please show them the respect that you have shown the others." She takes a deep breath before returning to her seat and I feel terrible for the last two tributes that have to be interviewed. No one is going to remember them after Cyrus' interview. "Now, our second to last tribute tonight is Lanette Croft from District Eleven."

I'm still so astounded by what Glacia just did that I can't focus on the poor girl who is being interviewed next. Even Claudia looks flustered by this, a rare sight to see on the host. I don't doubt now that Glacia and Cyrus will fight tomorrow. I spare a glance down the line at him and can tell that he is fuming right now. Yeah he is definitely going to make sure Glacia fights him tomorrow. While it would help me out to see him take out Glacia tomorrow, I don't think he'll end up winning. He is surely strong but Glacia is refined with how she fights. I watched her in training. Cyrus won't stand a chance against her.

I spare a glance at the crowd as Lanette's interview wraps up and I can tell that not many people are paying attention to her or her District partner that is called up next. In fact, the screens keep occasionally showing Glacia and Cyrus. It becomes clear to me that I've lost whatever edge I might have gotten to be remembered for my interview. There may be a few who still talk about me but I'm just an untrained tribute from Two who used his sister to be different from the others. I can't compare to a trained tribute who would have been this year's volunteer and has accepted the challenge of a fight.

My stomach starts to twist in worry that I won't be good enough to win these games or even make it long enough to get to Caitlin. When the timer ends on the final interview, I find myself happy that I can get off the stage and fully sulk about what just happened. But I can't yet and I turn my attention to Claudia as the boy from Eleven returns to his seat. The crowd is applauding him as the host turns to the tributes and she motions for us to stand up. We all stand and the crowds cheers become louder. Glacia starts waving at them next to me and I try to put on a confident smile and give the crowd a few waves, hoping I can maybe still get sponsors. "Thank you tributes for allowing me to interview you tonight," Claudia says happily as if we had a choice in the matter. She turns around to address the crowd and I wearily look at them, wondering who will help me out in the arena. "That concludes the interviews for another year of the Hunger Games. Tributes, good luck tomorrow as the Fifth Quarter Quell begins and may the odds be ever in your favor. Goodnight, Panem!"

* * *

 **If you want more information about the stories, please go to my website at** **thefifthquarterquell . weebly .com** **! It is now updated through Chapter 10!**


	11. The Calm Before The Storm

**Welcome to the 125th Hunger Games!**

 **Just a few things before the story begins. A reminder that this is one story out of two that are taking place during the same time. So if you are reading this story first and plan on reading the other, you may want to read the same chapter from the other in order to avoid spoilers to the character.**

 **I will update the stories on the same day, that way once the games start you can choose which story to read first as there will be some spoilers about what might happen to the other character.**

 **I'll let you begin the story. As always, please review and let me know what you think, good or bad. Any comments are good comments.**

 **Let the Games begin!**

* * *

 **Chapter 11:**

The silence of the training center is welcome after the loud crowd outside. But we haven't completely escaped them as their screams can still be heard, only muffled by the building. I look around at the tributes who are all so well dressed as they find their allies and meet up for the last time before the games start tomorrow morning. I meet Caitlin's gaze for a brief moment and she gives a quick smile before motioning Phoebe over who is still standing near me. To anyone else, it would appear that her smile was meant for her ally and not me. I turn towards my allies as the pair from Four walks over, in time to see Glacia wave tauntingly at someone.

"Those interviews were so much fun!" Ryoko says excitedly as I turn to see who Glacia was waving at. I'm almost not surprised when I see Cyrus inside a closing elevator who looks angry at Glacia. I shake my head a little as I turn back to my allies as Ryoko continues on. Anabel is smiling at him while several tributes that were still close to us appear to put some distance between us. "We all did so well! And Cyrus totally got put down by Glacia interrupting his interview!"

I watch Glacia's face and can tell that she's proud of her reaction. "That was a little bold," Lorelei mentions and I glance over to see her shaking her head with a smile on her face. "But he was being such a pain in the ass that I'm glad you said that. I would have but I didn't want him targeting me so better you than me."

Lorelei laughs at this statement and I'm surprised she said something so obviously hinting that she wouldn't be bothered by Cyrus killing Glacia. Sure I wouldn't mind if that happened but I doubt Cyrus has the ability to actually defeat Glacia. She's too well trained. I watch her face carefully, wondering how she will react to this comment from Lorelei. Yet she starts smirking and gives a confident response. "Well I suppose it would be nice for you to have him beat me but sorry to disappoint but I won't let that happen."

I wait to see how they respond to this and start wondering if they might start throwing punches now. After the flash of anger on Lorelei's face, it wouldn't surprise me. But when Ardos speaks up, I'm glad I won't get in the way of their fight. "Guys, let's leave the fighting until tomorrow." Glacia looks at him like she doesn't really want to do this and Ardos continues, trying to keep them from getting pulled apart by Peacekeepers. "We should use this time to make sure we're all ready for tomorrow."

"He's right," I quickly say and nod my head, partially wanting to get away from a potential confrontation and partially because I want to make sure I know their exact plans for tomorrow so I can tell Caitlin about it later. Glacia is giving me a weird look and I'm sure she's trying to figure out what my true intention is. I quickly motion around us after noticing that all of the other alliances have moved far away from us and out of earshot, trying to distract her from figuring out what I'm doing. "The others have all moved away from us so let's talk and make sure everyone is on the same page."

Glacia takes a moment to look at each of us, seemingly accessing what each of us thinks about this idea. After no protest, she starts talking, "Well, it will depend on where we are in relation to the Cornucopia," she pauses to make eye contact with each of us and I try to keep my face blank of any hint that I'm waiting to use this information against her. "We get there right away and we fight. We show them that we are ready to fight and claim the Cornucopia as ours." She starts to pace around and crosses her arms as she looks around at the alliances scattered around the room. There are quite a few this year and that can definitely make things more challenging for us. Glacia turns back to us, her lips pursed as she surely is thinking something along the same line. "We need to make sure to break up the alliances. Get one person from each and no one will be able to challenge us." This statement sends chills down my spine and I hope that she hasn't been making plans to target Caitlin. She's clearly the strongest one in her group and with me wanting to meet up with her, why wouldn't Glacia want to target her?

"What if we're all spread out across the arena?" Anabel speaks up and I look to my left, seeing her face full of worry. And I don't blame her for worrying about that because she probably won't leave Ardos' side in the arena.

Glacia seems to think about this for a few seconds and I look over in time to see her shaking her head. "I don't think Lisia will do that. It's a Quarter Quell. They're going to want fighting right away. They'll put us near the weapons." She pauses and seems to consider the alternative for a few seconds. I hope that doesn't happen as it will make it harder for Caitlin to find her allies and get supplies. "But if it does happen, we get there as fast as possible to beat the others."

No one speaks up after Glacia's comment and I start to think about how the games are starting in less than 24 hours. Surely I will have to take someone's life and I hate that thought but what else can I do if I want to stay alive? Yet a glance over at Caitlin talking with Phoebe and Lyra has me questioning once again what I will do about her. I don't think I can kill her but do I want to let her win over me? I don't know the answer to this and it scares me.

"Well, good luck tomorrow," Ardos says after a minute passes in silence. I turn my attention to him and see him giving us a small smile. "I'm glad to have this group as my allies."

As Lorelei reaches out to shake his hand, I feel my stomach in knots at the fact that I will have to betray Ardos at some point. He's a good person and has a good opinion of me and I don't want to ruin this. "Likewise," Lorelei responds as she shakes his hand. "I'm looking forward to fighting with you."

Ardos looks at me and all I can manage to do is give him a nod and a smile, not trusting myself to speak right now. He returns the smile before I turn my attention back to Glacia who is smiling at all of us, but it doesn't seem to be one of her cruel smiles that we usually see. It almost seems to be a genuine smile and I start wondering if she has actually started to like our allies, despite being so angry when we saw them get Reaped. "Everyone get rested tonight and be ready to start fighting tomorrow. One of us will win these games."

My gut tells me that it is very likely that one of us will end up being the victor. Yet I know that all of us are going to fight as hard as possible to make sure they are the one who wins. Ardos gives a nod in goodbye to us before turning to head towards the elevator. Anabel is quick to follow him, giving us a small wave that I return before she follows after Ardos. I watch them go and feel my heart heavy at the thought that they will have to lose each other in the games. If Ardos would have been able to volunteer when he turned 18, I think he might have been one of my favorites and who I would have routed for to win.

I turn back towards the others to see Ryoko finish shaking Glacia's hand before running off after the pair from Four. He's still so innocent and I hope he can keep that mentality once the games start tomorrow. Lorelei is shaking her head at her District partner before shaking Glacia's hand. The two both look confident as they keep a tight grip on each other's hand. "Glacia, you're the one person I'm really looking forward to fighting against. But until we reach that point, I will fight with you. The victor will be one of us two."

I stay quiet at this comment, stomach twisting in worry and I know for sure that Lorelei will fight almost just as hard as Glacia. I've overlooked her with how much of a threat Glacia is but I need to make sure I don't underestimate Lorelei. But Glacia looks happy at the thought of the final two being the pair of trained females. "I agree with you. It will be a great fight to end a Quarter Quell. See you in the morning."

Lorelei releases Glacia's hand and they exchange a smile laced with a challenge before heading over to Ryoko waiting for her by the elevators. I watch Glacia's face as she watches Lorelei leave, confused by the expression on her face. Is she starting to feel something towards our allies?

Probably not. She's too determined to fight and win. Just take what she did during Cyrus' interview tonight. I chuckle a little at Lorelei's comment from earlier about being glad Cyrus will be targeting Glacia. She looks over at me with an eyebrow raised and I shake my head at her. "That was really bold what you did."

She shrugs at this and starts to walk towards the elevators and I start walking next to her. I watch her face and see her start smirking before she responds to me. "I couldn't let him get away with challenging me and not doing something. That would make me look weak compared to him."

I think about this as we step into the elevator and I press the button for Two. I wonder what our mentors will think about her outburst. Surely Darach will be proud of her. Roxanne will probably recognize that she couldn't turn down the challenge. But I start thinking about how Flannery will respond and I start laughing at it, knowing the tiny woman is going to be so angry. "What's so funny?" Glacia harshly asks me and I'm sure she thinks I'm laughing at her. I guess I am indirectly but it's more how our escort will react to what Glacia did.

We reach our floor and I'm still laughing as we step out. I try to stop so I can explain to her as she kicks off her shoes but have to speak around laughter. "Flannery is going to kill you." I start laughing even more and buckle over, putting my hands on my knees as my stomach starts to hurt from laughing so much. "She is so concerned with being proper and having a good image," I say and continue chuckling as I stand up and see her starting to smile at what I've said. "But you just spoke out of turn during the interviews."

Glacia appears to be thinking about how Flannery will react before she starts laughing too. It's so surprising to hear her laughing at something fun and I can't help but keep laughing with her. In the back of my mind I start questioning why I'm joking around with Glacia when we will be fighting so soon. But I don't care and want to just keep having fun in the last few hours before I'm worried about dying. Glacia is grinning as she's laughing at this and it's easy to forget that she is trained to kill in the games.

"I don't know what you two are laughing about, but you both should be ashamed of the disrespect that Glacia just showed the Capitol and Claudia!" The yelling has us both immediately stop laughing as we look over at the elevator, not having heard the elevator open. Sure enough, Flannery is glaring at us with her hands on her hips yet she's so short and small that it's hard to be afraid of her anger. I try to keep from laughing still and have to bite my tongue as I watch our escort be angry at Glacia. "I am disappointed in you, Glacia. I thought I taught you well today and you would be very respectful to Claudia." Flannery points a finger at Glacia accusingly and I have to cover up a laugh with a cough. I look behind her at the mentors, hoping it will keep me from laughing but Darach is also grinning at this and Roxanne seems amused. "You better hope that the sponsors still want you after you disrespected the whole process of the interview!"

Darach starts walking past the escort, shaking his head at her. "Give it a rest, Flannery," he says as he walks over to Glacia. He pats her shoulder and gives her a proud smile before addressing Flannery once more. "She won't lose sponsors for that. If anything, she'll get more now because she's shown that she won't back down from a challenge."

I watch the inner turmoil be displayed on Flannery's face as she considers this but wants to still be angry about it. Roxanne steps forward before Flannery can say anything else. "Darach is right. Glacia has shown that she wants to fight and you of all people should know how much the Capitol crowd loves to see good fights."

My laughter has finally calmed down at this point as we all wait to see how Flannery will react. After a few seconds of debating what the mentors said, she finally sighs and relaxes her arms. She shakes her head at Glacia, "Fine, it was good for getting sponsors," she finally admits to us. "But you were still out of line and I'm going to write an apology letter to Claudia."

"What a wonderful idea," Roxanne says and I hold back a chuckle at the fact that her tone clearly says that she doesn't care about this idea. Yet she takes Flannery's arm and starts walking towards the dining room with her. "But let's not worry about it right now. Dinner is waiting for us and I'm sure Lance and Glacia are starving." Roxanne glances at both of us and I give a nod in agreeance, knowing she is trying to distract Flannery. Roxanne gives us both a smile as she walks past us. "See? They're both hungry so let's not waste our dinner."

"You're right," Flannery admits to Roxanne as they leave the room and I smile a little at her seeming so unhappy to give in. "That would be worse than Glacia's outburst."

Glacia laughs a little at this comment and I almost laugh as well, amused by our escort. Darach seems to want to join in with his mentee but refrains from it. Instead, he gives us a shrug and sticks his hands in his pockets as he looks at the two of us. "Why don't you two go get changed before dinner. I'll keep Flannery calm while you go do that."

"Thanks Darach, I will," Glacia responds right away to him and I watch her face, feeling a small amount of jealously that she has such a close relationship to her mentor. He knows everything about her skills and weaknesses and I'm sure he will be a great help in the arena. I get along well with Roxanne but there's things about me that she doesn't know since we only really met a few days ago. I can only hope she has learned enough to help me in the games tomorrow.

As Darach gives me a nod before turning to leave, my mood starts to darken at the thought of the games so quickly approaching. And compared to Glacia, I feel unprepared from never wanting to do this. I watch as she picks up her shoes and starts walking towards our rooms and I fall into step next to her, not knowing what to say to her right now. My earlier humor with her has completely disappeared and I'm left questioning if I'm ready.

"You okay?" she suddenly asks as we reach the hallway to our rooms. I look down at her curiously, not sure why she is asking me about how I feel. I'm almost ready to brush her off and not answer her as I start to once again view her as a threat. But the brief moment of laughter we shared comes back to my mind and I stare at her, seeing that she looks genuinely concerned about what's going through my mind right now.

"Not really," I finally answer her, deciding that I don't care about lying right now. "It kind of just hit me that tomorrow is when we're going to be fighting to the death." I let out a shaky sigh as we reach our doors and pause in front of the doors on opposite sides of the hallway. I run a hand through my hair, feeling anxious about these games. "You probably aren't worried about it since you've been preparing for this for years but for me, I never wanted to do this." I lean back against my door and shake my head lightly as I think about how I ended up in the position. I never imagined growing up in Two that I would be forced to enter the games. "Yet I have to fight because I don't want to die and let Maylene down."

We're both silent for a few seconds and I think about just what I need to do tomorrow. Unexpectedly, she places a hand on my arm and I jump a little in surprise but don't brush her away. I watch her curiously as she doesn't look like a career and someone trained to kill. "Trust me, I have doubts and fears about the games too. And I have to fight for Grandma so I understand how you feel about Maylene." She pauses and I'm left in shock by this statement. The mention of her grandmother has me thinking about the rumors that she started training to prove herself to the District and defend her grandmother's honor after people started mocking her for the mental illness Sylvia has developed because of the games. And right now, I believe that she did it to prove herself, not because she truly wants to fight and kill people. "It's terrible to think about the fact that no matter who wins, one of them will be devastated."

She pulls her hand back and leans against her door, watching me carefully as we fall into silence. I don't know how to respond to her as I've realized that she isn't the person she pretends to be around the others. And the thought of making her grandmother's illness worse if I kill Glacia and win makes me feel terrible.

When I hear the clicking of heels approaching us, I'm thankful to have someone interrupt our conversation so I don't have to respond, even if it is Flannery scolding us about taking so long. I look over and I'm surprised to see the two stylists walking towards us, smiles on their faces but exhaustion showing in their eyes. Serena is the first to reach us and takes Glacia's hand, looking proud at her tribute. "Oh you both shined tonight."

Galen reaches me and gives me a pat on my shoulder. "Yes, you did great," he gives me a smile before continuing. "We just got back because we had a lot of people stopping us to compliment us on your outfits."

I doubt many people were complimenting my suit because they only ever care about the dresses. But I still give Galen a forced smile at this, feeling like I have to show some sign of feeling grateful. Serena is quick to speak up, "But let's get you change, you must be starving." She nudges Glacia aside so that she can open the door. As Glacia gets dragged inside she looks at me curiously and I realize I never responded to how she feels about the games. I give her a small nod, understanding exactly what she means about the victor.

I turn and enter my room with Galen right behind me. Once the door is shut, I quickly remove my suit jacket and pass the clothes to him. He stays silent as I start unbuttoning my shirt and I don't mind the silence as the thought of the games starting has made me not in the mood to talk to people.

"You know, I was the stylist for your sister," Galen suddenly says as I'm slipping my shirt off and I freeze, staring at him. He has a sad smile on his face and I try to remember back to Maylene's games, to see if I can remember who was her stylist. But I don't remember anything about her stylist and I'm sure if she had mentioned it to me after, I forgot it because I was too happy to see her home and alive.

Galen holds out his hand and I give him the shirt before turning to grab a more comfortable shirt from my dressers. This news has me feeling unsettled about it as I grab the first shirt that I can find and throw it on before turning back to him, unsure what to say. "I'm sorry but I don't remember you being her stylist."

Galen gives a chuckle at this and motions for me to give him my dress pants. I sit on the bed and slip off my dress shoes before taking off my pants as he continues. "No, I suppose I'm not surprised that you don't. If your sister is fighting to the death, I imagine you're not that concerned about who is dressing her." I give him a smile as I toss over the pants, happy to see that he is understanding. I grab a pair of black pants from the drawer next to me and quickly slip them on. "That was the reason I made sure I was your stylist. Usually I work with the female tribute but I am still friends with your sister and felt some sort of obligation to help you out."

He has carefully folded the clothes and placed them on my bed before looking up at me. I don't know what to say to him right now with his face looking so caring. I didn't expect that anyone I met in the Capitol would actually care about any of the children brought here to be paraded around before fighting to the death. "Thank you," is all I can say to him.

Galen approaches me a puts his hand on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze before letting go. He gives me a half smile before nodding towards the door. "You don't need to thank me, I'm doing what I love. But come on, we should go eat dinner."

I find myself finally noticing my hunger at this statement and give him a small smile before nodding my head in agreement. He motions to the door and lets me lead the way out of my room. We walk in silence down the hallway and I'm happy that Galen isn't a person to talk just to fill the silence. I can start smelling the food as we reach the main room a quicken my pace as my stomach starts rumbling. How long has it been since I ate today? It had to have been before lunch. I don't know how I haven't noticed my hunger before now.

Flannery glances up as we enter the dining room but my attention is on the table piled high with food. "Good, you're out. Sit down and get eating," she tells me unnecessarily because I'm already sliding into the seat next to Roxanne and grabbing the leg of some type of poultry from in front of me. I take a huge bite and close my eyes for a moment as the sweetness hits me before citrus. I might hate the Capitol for putting me into the games but I have to admit, they have really good food. I open my eyes and keep eating as Flannery keeps talking, only giving her a small amount of my attention. "Oh Lance, you did so well tonight at your interview. Really, you've changed so much from the boy who hesitated at the Reaping."

Roxanne gives my shoulder a nudge and I look over to see her smiling proudly at me. "You really have changed a lot," she says and I start frowning at this, automatically assuming that I'm becoming more like a career who loves fighting. "No, not like you're thinking," Roxanne mentions and shakes her head. "Maybe a little but mostly, you've become someone who has become confident and ready to take on a situation they never thought they would be in."

"And that confidence is paying off already," Flannery says before I can respond to Roxanne. She gives me a smile and nods her head back to my plate, letting me know we can talk later. "You were so confident in your interview that I already have people contacting me about sponsoring you and Glacia." This news makes me feel a bit better about my chances after I assumed they were ruined by Glacia's outburst during Cyrus' interview. I glance up from my plate to see Glacia entering the room with Serena, her attention on the food and she makes her way over to the table as Flannery looks at her happily. "Ah, Glacia, so happy that you are here," she says as she sits down next to Darach who looks proudly at her. But she's too busy grabbing food to notice this. "I was telling Lance about how fantastic you two were at your interviews."

Glacia's mouth is already full of food and she looks up at me, a bit of surprise on her face. She looks to me to say more on this and I pause from my own food to tell her what Flannery had mentioned. "Yeah Flannery mentioned that she's already getting messages from people who want to sponsor us."

"Really?" She asks in surprise before looking over at Flannery. I don't understand why she is in shock over this as she should have known that she would be sponsored. Perhaps she was having doubts like me that people wouldn't actually like her.

And Flannery is looking so proudly at the two of us. "Yes, they won't stop messaging me and practically throwing their money already." She pauses to grin at both of us before continuing on, "It's obviously because you two had excellent interviews and impressed the crowd."

"See?" Darach speaks up for the first time since I sat down. He grabs a roll and his face shows the arrogance that he always. As I stare at him, I recall the conversation Roxanne and I had about how no one leaves the games unaffected. Is this just his way of dealing with the games? I'll probably never know. He gives Flannery a cocky grin before speaking again. "That outburst that had you all bothered didn't ruin their chances of sponsors at all."

Flannery's face shows annoyance at this comment from him and Glacia also seems to notice this. "Did I apologize for that yet?" She asks her and takes a few sips of her water. I'm sure Glacia doesn't feel the need to apologize at all but is trying to keep our last dinner together friendly. Flannery's face still shows annoyance and it's clear Glacia hasn't apologized. "I'm sorry for causing you any stress."

Flannery doesn't seem like she thinks this apology is enough and purses her lips at Glacia. And really, Glacia wasn't apologizing for the outburst, she was apologizing for Flannery now being stressed about it. A few seconds pass as we eat in silence before Flannery gives Glacia a curt nod. "Very well, I accept your apology." She claps her hands, looking happy once again as she gets everyone's attention on her. "Well since we're all here, I should go over the last of the schedule before Lance and Glacia are in the arena."

This statement has my stomach turning as I'm reminded once again that we're so close to being in the arena. Glacia also seems to be having a similar reaction as she sets down her fork and leans back in her chair. Flannery doesn't seem to notice this as she's once again tapping away on her tablet. "Now tonight we obviously have dinner together. After that, we can watch reruns of the interviews but that is optional for everyone to watch." I know right now that I don't want to watch them again as it will make me more stressed out about the games. I stop eating and start feeling like I want to be anywhere but at this table. Yet Flannery is looking so proudly at the two of us that I feel bad about even thinking about making an excuse right now to leave. "I'm afraid myself and the mentors must say farewell to you tonight as we must go early in the morning to the Control Center. I do want to say that it has been an honor for me to be your escort. Both of you are so capable and I really do believe that District Two will have another victor this year."

Flannery has complete faith in the two of us and it makes my stomach twist at the thought of possibly disappointing her by not winning. Glacia only gives her a nod and a smile, looking like she wants to say something but is unable to come up with the words. I don't know what to say to her either but know I must tell her something. "Thank you for helping us."

Flannery gives us a smile at this but her eyes betray her and show some sadness in them. She quickly turns back to her tablet and I'm left wondering just how much she cares about the two children she guides before the games. "Now tomorrow morning, Serena and Galen will arrive at 8 am sharp to travel with you to the arena. They will help you get ready and then at 10 am the games begin."

Only a little over 12 hours until the games start tomorrow morning. Silence settles on all of us as we realize just how close the games are starting. I look around at all of the people sitting here and I realize I don't want to leave them. Even with Glacia, I want to stay in the Capitol with her. I've finally started to understand her and see her walls starting to crumble down. And Darach is watching her drink her water as she stares at her plate. His face is full of concern for her and I know he isn't the arrogant person he shows to us all the time. Even the two stylists have shown that they aren't the conceited people I expected from the Capitol and don't treat us as if we're five years old. Flannery has shown that she's proud of us and I don't want to disappoint her in the games. And then there's Roxanne. She has given me so much support these last few days and I wouldn't be as prepared as I am – even if I don't feel like it right now – without her encouraging me to go through the games the way I want. I'm almost more worried about letting her down if I don't win than I am with Maylene.

Flannery clears her throat and I look over at her, feeling overwhelmed with fear and confusion about the games starting so soon. She gives us a gentle smile and I wonder if she sees the panic coursing through me right now. She stands up before speaking to us, "Well if everyone is done eating, we can go head over to prepare for the reruns."

The thought of seeing the interviews again has my stomach twisting and I worry that I will lose the food I just ate. I need to get somewhere so that I can pretend that the games aren't so close. Glacia has stood up and I look around unsure about how people will react to what I'm about to say. "I don't think I'm going to watch the reruns."

My gaze falls on Flannery and I can see that she's frowning at this statement. While she had said it was optional, it's clear she had been hoping that we would both stick around for it. She lets out a small sigh before speaking up, "Very well. What are you going to do instead?"

"I think I'm going to head up to the roof to get some fresh air," I respond and stand up, my legs feeling weak as I feel panic about the games. I'm not ready to die and I don't feel ready to kill someone. But both are things that could happen tomorrow.

"How long will you be up there?" Roxanne asks from next to me and I can hear her voice full of concern.

I turn my gaze to her and almost feel bad that I won't be around for long tonight to spend potentially my final evening with her. But I need to get away from things related to the games. "I'm… not sure," I finally answer her and she smiles gently at me and it seems as if she expected this response. "I might be up there late so I can try to relax and get my mind off of the games starting tomorrow."

"Then this might be goodbye now," Flannery speaks up and I look up to see her approaching me as I hear her heels making the only sound in the room. She suddenly embraces me and I'm surprised by the gesture before returning it after a couple seconds pass. I didn't expect our escort to care about us like this. "Oh good luck tomorrow!" She says against my shoulder, not coming close to my height, even in her heels. "You make me so proud and I know you will keep doing so in the arena."

When she steps back, she gives me a gentle smile before turning away. Roxanne clears her throat and I look over at her before noticing Darach starting to push Glacia out of the room. "Come on, Glacia, let's go get settled in the other room." She's fighting against this, not understanding what he's doing as he looks at me. He gives me an odd look before nodding his head once at me. "Good luck, kid."

They start making their way out of the room and I know Darach is trying to give me and Roxanne a private moment to say goodbye. Glacia forces him to stop about halfway across the room and turns back to me. I'm apprehensive as I watch her, not sure where we stand in our understanding of each other. She seems to be struggling to figure out what to say to me right now. "Are we still in agreeance about what the alliance is doing tomorrow?" I'm a little disappointed that she asked me about this as it's a reminder that I will have to betray her soon after starting to get to know her better. But I give her a nod and she seems content by this answer. "Good. Then I'll see you in the arena."

They start leaving the room again and I call after her, feeling sad for some reason that I must be going in the arena with her. "See you tomorrow." I turn my attention back to Roxanne as they leave the room. The others still here have distracted themselves, the stylists talking quietly and Flannery staring at her tablet intently. It's as much privacy as we're going to get right now but I don't care.

Roxanne stands up and gives me a tight hug. This embrace I return right away and don't want to let go. "Lance, I believe that you can win these games. I really do," Roxanne starts to say and steps back. She puts her hands on my shoulders and looks up at me, her face showing that she does have faith in me. "You need to be careful in the arena, especially with Glacia. I don't know how much you have started to know her but you need to remember that no matter what weakness she has shown here, she is still trained and more determined than any other female in Two to compete. There's a reason why she was the chosen volunteer this year and you can't let yourself forget this."

She waits for me to give some form of acknowledgement to this, staring up at me expectantly. "I won't," I say quietly, not really believing myself at the moment. "But if the Gamemakers make us fight eventually, do I even stand a chance?"

Roxanne looks unsure about this question, giving me the answer before she even says anything. "I'm honestly not sure. I want to say that you can but there's a good chance that she can beat you." I turn away from her, feeling as if she just gave me a death sentence. She shakes my shoulders, "Look at me, Lance." I grudgingly turn back to her, being met with kindness and concern. "I have seen tributes win against greater odds than you are facing. Fourteen-year-olds from Nine have won before. You have some skills from training, you're not weak from hunger, and you have the benefit of sponsors. You can win this."

Roxanne has such faith in me and I take a shaky breath, not sure if I deserve to have her believing in me. But then I remember how much Maylene believed in me and I try to pull it together as the worry about the games is almost overwhelming. "I'll try my hardest."

"That's all you can do," Roxanne says gently to me. "And you know I will do everything I can to help you out in the games. Now come on, let's go get you upstairs so that you can try to relax before tomorrow."

She puts a hand on my back and starts guiding me out of the dining room. I look back at Flannery, realizing that this very well could be the last time I see her. "Thank you again for helping me."

The escort gives me a big smile in return. "It was my pleasure, Lance. I really do hope to see you again when the games are over."

I give her a sad smile before turning around to leave the room with Roxanne, wondering myself if I will see her again. I really hope so as that will mean I am alive but with the odds I'm facing, I'm more focused on surviving day one at the moment. We walk in silence as we approach the elevators and I feel my heart sinking in sadness that I must say goodbye to Roxanne. We stop in front of the doors, neither of us reaching for the button. Roxanne lets out a sigh before taking my hand. "Please be careful, Lance. The arena is a dangerous place, not just because of the other tributes." She pushes the button with her other hand and reaches to give me one last hug. "I want you to win so badly. Please stay alive."

"I will," I reply to her, returning the hug. We only let go when the elevator doors open but I don't want to leave her. She smiles at me and gives a nod towards the waiting elevator. I take a hesitant step towards it before stopping to look at her. "Thank you for everything you've done."

Roxanne simply smiles at this and points to the elevator. "I'm not done doing stuff for you yet. Now go. Relax now because you won't be able to do that in the arena."

I take the last few steps onto the elevator and turn to look at her. "I'll see you when the games are done," I say before pressing the button to travel to the roof.

Roxanne grins at this and the doors start to close. "I'm looking forward to that."

The doors shut and as I start moving up, I leave against the wall and let out a sigh. I really don't know if I will see Roxanne again. I want to more than anything, as that means I'll be the victor and then I can go home to Maylene. The doors open on the roof and I take a few steps out, closing my eyes as I take in the peace and smells surrounding me. My fears for the games start to fade to the background as I focus on being in the moment of serenity.

I don't notice the elevator has gone back down until the door opens behind me and a girl speaks up. "Oh, I didn't expect to see anyone up here!" I open my eyes and turn around to see Lyra standing there. Her face shows shock when she realizes who I am, or rather, what District I'm from. She points to the elevator behind her as the doors shut. "I'll just, um, go back down."

It's clear to me that she doesn't know anything about me and Caitlin and I almost feel sad about it. But when she reaches to get the elevator, I speak up, "No, please stay. I understand why you're up here. Don't leave because of me."

Lyra seems hesitant to stay up here with me and I want to tell her right then and there about how Caitlin and I are secret allies. But I don't get the chance to when the elevator opens once more, revealing Caitlin this time. "Lyra!" She says, voice full of happiness when she spots her ally. Her eyes then land on me and she gives me a grin as she steps forward. "Oh Lance, you're here too. This is great!"

"What's great?" I ask her in shock at her openly acknowledging me, even if it is to her ally.

"You know him?" Lyra asks, voice full of confusion at this situation and I don't blame her for being surprised that her ally knows the boy from Two, regardless if I'm not a career. Lyra turns back and gives me a look over before returning her attention to Caitlin who is smiling sheepishly at her ally. "You do realize he's from District Two and in the career alliance, right?"

"Yes and he's not really in their alliance," Caitlin says and Lyra must be giving her a look of total disbelief because Caitlin holds up her hands defensively at this, yet she's still smiling. "I'll explain all of this once Phoebe is up here."

"What are you explaining when I get up here?" a girl asks from behind me and we all turn in shock to see Phoebe approaching us from in the garden. I hadn't even realized that someone else was up here and I should have looked around after the near run-in with Brody last night. Phoebe glances at the three of us and her eyebrows furrow in confusion. "Okay clearly you need to get explaining because I don't understand why the boy from Two is here."

"Hey, I have a name you know," I say defensively as Caitlin steps forward with her hands placed on her hips.

"Yes, yes," Caitlin says to me, looking exasperated already with getting all three of us caught up. "Phoebe, Lyra, this is Lance." She gives me a small smile and I wonder what she is doing right now before she turns to look at the other girls. "Lance is my other ally."

There's complete silence among the four of us and I watch Phoebe and Lyra carefully, waiting to see how they will react to this news. When they don't answer for at least a minute, I start to get nervous about this. Caitlin on the other hand, just lets out a sigh and motions towards the gardens. "Look, we shouldn't stand right in front of the elevator. Anyone could come up here and see the four of us together."

"Not four, three," Lyra says defiantly and crosses her arms as she looks at me. I should have expected them to be hesitant about accepting me.

Phoebe seems unsure about the situation. "Well, there are four of us standing here," she says carefully and looks around at us all. "And Caitlin is right."

Caitlin looks content at this admission from Phoebe and she motions into the garden. When the other two girls don't move, I sigh and take the first move. Once I've started walking, I can hear their footsteps behind me. They follow me through the garden and I lead them to the far side of the roof, hoping that if anyone does show up, it would take them a while to find us.

Once I reach the ledge, I lean against it and look at the girls. Phoebe and Lyra stand opposite me, Lyra with her arms crossed and Phoebe looking unsure about this situation. Caitlin stands between us, looking back and forth between us before finally explaining. "Alright, Phoebe and Lyra, I brought you up here tonight so that you can meet Lance. Now I've been meeting up here at night with Lance since the first day of training. We've made an alliance together and have made plans for him to blindside the career pack."

"And why didn't you tell us this before?" Lyra accusingly asks Caitlin and I can see that she is offended that Caitlin didn't trust them enough.

"We couldn't risk anyone finding out," I speak up and three heads turn to look at me. I give them a shrug before continuing. "Sure, Caitlin trusted you not to mention anything but people slip up. In order to make the plan work, we had to make sure Glacia and the others didn't have any idea that I am going to betray them."

The two girls stare at me curiously for a few seconds. Phoebe is the first one to speak up. "Why do you want to betray them?" Yes, why do I? "And of all the people you could have chosen, why do you want to ally with Caitlin?"

I think about this for a few seconds, trying to figure out why exactly I want to leave the career alliance anyone. It almost seems like I shouldn't even bother sticking with them at all. No, that isn't the right move. I would get targeted immediately. And after starting to understand Glacia, well, I don't know if I can leave right away. But I keep this information to myself and give them a different answer. "I'm not a career. I've never trained and never wanted to train. But I'm not dumb and I recognize some of the advantages of being in their alliance for a few days." I pause as I think about how to answer the other question Phoebe gave me. "As for why Caitlin, I can't really explain why. Can either of you two fully explain why you three all chose to be allies?"

Their faces show that they can't answer this question and I suppose no one can really fully explain why we choose allies when we're about to enter a fight to the death. We all know that only one person can make it out alive. Lyra and Phoebe both look at each other before turning back to me. Lyra is the one to speak up, despite being very stubborn about this. "So what do we do to help?"

* * *

"Please hold out your right arm," a woman dressed in white aboard the Capitol hovercraft says as she approaches me. In her hand is a giant needle and I keep my arm close to me, not wanting that anywhere close to me. She looks annoyed at this and forcefully grabs my arm and stabs the needle in. I flinch at the pain from it and can feel what must be the tracker now in my arm as she walks away from me. I rub the spot, knowing this means that the games really arm starting.

At least I know that I will be in a good spot once I leave the career alliance. By time we all left the roof, I think Lyra and Phoebe were both on board with me being allies with Caitlin and indirectly them. They both agreed to staying close to the Cornucopia so that I can find them easily.

Galen stares at me from the other side of the hovercraft. "How are you feeling?"

I look up at him, trying to wrap my head around everything that's going throw my head right now. "I'm terrified," I whisper to him and can feel my heart start racing as the hovercraft comes alive with noise around us.

When we start to take off, I glance out the window and see us flying through the hanger below the training center. My stomach is twisting at the fear of dying as we reach sunlight and I can see the Capitol behind us and quickly fading into the distance. Galen clears his throat and I turn back to him. "Lance, you should eat some breakfast while we're on the hovercraft."

"I'm not hungry," I respond quietly and turn my attention back to the window. I wonder what District we're flying over right now. When I hear Galen stand up and start walking towards me, I sigh and look at him. "Fine, I'll go eat something even though I'm not hungry."

Galen gives me a smile when I stand up, despite me acting stubborn and closed off from my fear. We start walking to another room of the hovercraft and my stomach betrays me and rumbles a little at the smell of the food. "When you're in the arena, you'll be happy you ate this breakfast."

We sit down at the table and I've just started to eat some eggs when the windows darken around us. I look up at Galen in a panic, not expecting to have us reaching the arena so soon. His face is full of confusion at this. "We haven't even been flying for a half hour yet. In my five years we've never been this close to the arena."

My heart is beating against my chest at this and I pick up my glass of water, my hand shaking so much that the water almost spills over the top. I chug half of it, trying to keep myself calm but it's no use. I can't ignore the fact that we're so close to the arena.

Alright, what can I think about instead? I need to fight to get home to Maylene. She's probably just as anxious as I am right now, waiting for the games to start so she can see what happens. I can't let her see me die. I almost let out a laugh at how the situation is reversed from five years ago when it was Maylene going into the games. At least she will have Lysander and hopefully some other victors with her to watch and comfort her if need be. But I'm going to make sure she doesn't need that.

And I also need to make sure I don't let Roxanne see me die. My mentor is probably in the Controls Center right now with Darach and Flannery, also waiting for the games to start. I wonder what it's like in there, with all of the mentors together. Do they keep to their own District or sit together with who their tributes are allies with? Or do they not care about that and sit with whoever they want? Suddenly I want to make sure that I can see this someday. Or at least live long enough that I can ask Roxanne what it's like.

My body weight shifts and I look up at Galen, confused about what is happening with flying. He starts smiling as if he wants to chuckle at my reaction but refrains from it. "We've started the descent. That's what you're feeling right now."

"We're descending already?" I ask in disbelief since it feels like we had just started flying a few minutes ago. I return my attention to my food that I've barely touched and start grabbing large forkfuls, realizing that I have no idea what the food situation will be like in the arena. There should be plenty at the Cornucopia but we're also going to have to ration it among six people. I won't be able to eat a full meal like this again until I'm out of the arena.

Galen watches me, his face unreadable as we continue to descend into the arena. When we slow down and I feel the impact of us landing, I drop my fork in fear and look up at him, not ready to actually face the arena. Galen stands up and gives me a sad smile. "Come on, it's time to get you ready."

I shakily stand up and he starts to walk back to the room we entered. I follow him, my legs feeling heavy and my mind is all over the place. The ramp is down and Galen leads me towards it. Two Peacekeepers wait for us at the bottom and as I walk down, the approach and start walking on either side of me. It seems excessive to me but perhaps at one point, someone had tried to run away when they reached what looks to be a large hanger that is surely below the arena. I look around as they start leading me towards a hallway and I see Cynthia walking towards this entrance from my left and on my right, Ryoko is entering a different hallway. I don't see Glacia or Caitlin which makes me a little nervous but at least Ryoko will probably be near me at the start. He's one I can definitely trust to not kill me in the bloodbath.

The Peacekeepers lead us through a series of twists and turns, walking past several unmarked doors. I don't know how they know where they're going because there are no distinguishing features here. They stop suddenly and I nearly run into one. The other opens up the door and Galen steps in first. I follow him in hesitantly, seeing the launch tube in the back right corner. I freeze when I'm inside the room, feeling sick at the sight of the thing that will place me into the arena. This is really about to happen. I'm going to face my worst nightmare and can only hope that I will survive.

The door slams behind me and I get startled by it. Galen turns around and gives me an apologetic smile as he looks away from a clothes rack. I finally look around at the rest of the surroundings in the room. Near the center sits a table holding a pitcher of water and two glasses, and a small box. Two chairs sit on opposite sides of it. I walk over to the table curiously, needing to know what's in the box. Galen notices my attention and beats me to the table and delicately picks up the box. When I look up at him, he's smiling at me. "It's your token."

As he takes the box off and I spot the silver chain holding the ring that was my mother's, I'm reminded of seeing Maylene becoming victorious with the gold and emerald ring on. I hold out my hand for it and Galen carefully hands it to me. I immediately slip the necklace over my head and hold on to the ring for a few seconds, feeling comforted that I have this small piece of my family with me. It relaxes me and I know that when I start feeling scared and like I can't win in the arena, I'm going to look at this ring and remember just why I'm fighting. "Thank you," I say quietly to Galen and give him a small smile as my heart rate starts to slow a little. "Now should I start getting ready?"

"Yes," Galen responds and returns to the clothes rack. I drop my hand from the ring and watch him start grabbing tan pants and a light gray shirt. "Now you showered this morning before leaving the Capitol?"

I nod my head at him as he turns around and brings over the clothes to me. "I did. I couldn't sleep well this morning and figured I should at least do something productive." I slip off the shirt I have on and put on the gray shirt he hands me. I slip the necklace into the shirt, not wanting anything to happen to it by hanging outside it.

Galen hands me the pants and I start changing into them as he speaks up. "Well that will save you some time now. I suppose it gives you more time to try to relax and drink water before launch."

The clothes unsurprisingly fit perfectly. His reminder of drinking water makes me sit down at the table and pour myself a glass. I take a sip as Galen returns with a pair of socks and black leather boots. I set my glass down and start putting the socks and shoes on as Galen sits down across from me at the table. He folds his hands as he watches me. "This outfit is perplexing. They gave you short sleeves which you would think means a warmer climate. But then they give you a jacket to wear which makes me think it might be cold at night."

I look up from him as I pause in lacing up my boots. "Any chance they would give that outfit to us and throw us in a cold arena?"

Galen shakes his head at this. "Very unlikely." I nod at his response, happy that I probably won't be in an artic wasteland. "Frozen arenas are usually very boring for people watching. I can tell you right now that Lisia will not let these games be boring."

I finish lacing up my boots and return my full attention to him. I take a sip of water before questioning his knowledge of arenas. "What do you think the arena will be?"

Galen looks hesitant to answer this question and I can't tell if it's because he's figured it out and doesn't want to get in trouble or he doesn't want to give me false hopes about what I'll be facing. "I… have my theories about it."

"What are they?" I ask him urgently, wanting to have some idea about what I might be facing.

But we don't have time to get his answer as an announcement sounds in the room that makes my blood freeze in fear. "Tributes, one minute to launch. Please prepare for launch."

Galen has jumped up at this announcement and very quickly grabs my jacket. He forces me to stand up and my feet feel like they're made of lead. He grabs my arms and starts slipping the jacket on me when I don't move. "Come on, Lance, you can't put this off. Trust me, you don't want to see what happens to tributes who refuse to get in the launch tube."

This comment has me at least moving enough to finish putting the jacket on myself. I turn to face him, not knowing what to say to the last person on my team that I will see from the Capitol. "What's the arena going to be?"

"You'll find out in less than a minute," he responds and starts pushing me towards the launch tube. I stumble on my feet and feel my heart nearly pounding out of my chest at the thought of stepping into the tube. "Just remember to fight and don't trust anyone in the arena."

I stop halfway into the tube so that I can grab his hand tightly. "I'm not ready for this."

Galen smiles sadly at me and makes me finish stepping into the tube. It begins to close around me as he says one last thing to me. "No one ever is. Good luck, Lance."

The tube seals around me and I'm left in silence. I can hear my heart pounding in the tube and my hands start to get clammy and I wipe them against my pants. When I start to move up, I watch Galen disappear and he gives me one last wave before I'm surrounded by darkness. My breathing quickens and I look up to see the small circle of light above my head quickly approaching me. Oh god, I'm really about to go into the arena.

Suddenly I'm above ground and my eyes struggle to see in the light. I want to race away from everyone, especially when I see that I'm on a raised platform right next to Glacia. But I quickly remind myself that I will be blown to pieces if I step off too soon. I frantically look around me, trying to figure out what this arena is. The broken down building we're in allows some light to filter down to us but then I notice how all of the tributes are set up on platforms with their District partner. And I've been placed the farthest away from the Cornucopia. I try to get myself focused on the fact that I have to act when the gong sounds. There's no way to change the fact that I'm in the arena other than fight my way out.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, let the 125th Hunger Games and Fifth Quarter Quell begin."

I search for Caitlin as the time starts to tick down from 60 to begin the games. She's to my left and is placed between One and Nine. Her eyes meet mine and hers are so full of fire and I know she is ready to fight. She turns away and I return my attention to the Cornucopia and prepare myself to start running.

Time to work my way back to Maylene.

* * *

 **If you want more information about the stories, please go to my website at** **thefifthquarterquell . weebly .com** **! It is now updated through Chapter 11!**


	12. The Games Day 1

**Welcome to the 125th Hunger Games!**

 **Just a few things before the story begins. A reminder that this is one story out of two that are taking place during the same time. So if you are reading this story first and plan on reading the other, you may want to read the same chapter from the other in order to avoid spoilers to the character.**

 **I will update the stories on the same day, that way once the games start you can choose which story to read first as there will be some spoilers about what might happen to the other character.**

 **I'll let you begin the story. As always, please review and let me know what you think, good or bad. Any comments are good comments.**

 **Let the Games begin!**

* * *

 **Chapter 12:**

 _Lisia Arune_

 _Head Gamemaker_

Lisia carefully watched the chaos unfold in front of her as the time ticked down in the final minute before her Quarter Quell began. It was organized chaos, of course, as Lisia wouldn't allow for anything to go wrong with her games. She had been planning this since the day last year's victor returned to District Seven, determined to make sure she will be remembered for years as having the best Quarter Quell.

 _Fifty-six, fifty-five, fifty-four…_

From her seat on the ledge overlooking the Games Headquarters, she could see her Gamemakers preparing everything. Directly in front of her sat her three most trusted associates as they gave the countdown and made sure the tributes were all ready to fight. The panel at the table in front of them shows the map of the arena she carefully created over many late nights with 22 lights flashing. The trackers are fully working, not that she expected anything else. If Gamemaker Azule had messed up the trackers, Lisia would have his head. Nothing can go wrong today.

 _Forty-four, forty-three, forty-two…_

To the left side of the room sat the Gamemakers in charge of creating the mutts. They had a difficult task to complete when Lisia decided on the theme of the arena and they had to go do research, but they did not disappoint her. Even now as she glances at the screens containing the creatures that they are still working on to perfect, Lisia knows they will create fear for the tributes and excitement for the Capitol.

 _Thirty-seven, thirty-six, thirty-five…_

And to the right sit the Gamemakers that can change the conditions of the arena at a single word from Lisia. The power to make it rain one minute and be sunny the next is intoxicating to her. She feels like a goddess as she runs the arena, not unlike the gods and goddesses that she had the tributes dress as for the tribute parade. One of her more brilliant ideas, but it was not as clever as her arena. That was her greatest accomplishment.

 _Thiry, twenty-nine, twenty-eight…_

Lisia returns her attention to the many screens displayed on the wall in front of her, all showing different views of the arena. Some span around the arena to show the Capitol what the tributes cannot yet see. An ancient city surrounded by unclimbable walls on three sides. A glittering sea blocking the city on the eastern edge. Broken down buildings take up a majority of the arena, providing a hiding space. But many mutts will roam these buildings, keeping most tributes away from the safety of the buildings. To the southwest lies a forest, also teeming with mutts, and at the farthest corner, a source of gathering that has been lost to the ages, stones broken and vines covering many of the seats. Lisia was already planning on forcing some tributes there to create a moment of drama.

 _Twenty-two, twenty-one, twenty…_

A river passes through the city near the northern wall, blocking the tributes from reaching a house still standing, fields full of food, pigs waiting to be killed for food. Lisia hopes that someone will attempt to cross the fast moving water, but is unconcerned if none do. She already has plans to use the space eventually.

 _Eighteen, seventeen, sixteen…_

But the main feature of the arena is the cliff that rises from the city and faces east. North and south of the cliff lie two fields, the former full of tall grass and the latter an open plain. Atop the cliff is where her tributes wait now, inside of a building partially broken down from age. The tributes stand on platforms with their District partner, all arranged in a U-shape that faces west where the Cornucopia awaits them, overflowing with gold weapons that shine in the late morning sun, food and water that is necessary for them to survive, and other survival gear to make them more comfortable and hidden. It was a bold move that Lisia made to not put the tributes at equal distances from the Cornucopia. She received protest from many of her Gamemakers, especially a few who noticed that she put One, Two, and Four at the far end. She made a compromise to that and put Five in the three platforms at the end but kept One next to them. She didn't want it to be too obvious to the Capitol watching that she had placed them farther away to make the opening more interesting as the trained tributes have to fight harder to reach the weapons before others.

 _Thirteen, twelve, eleven…_

And do they seem ready to fight. Ardos has been exchanging glares with Brody the entire countdown and she feels confident that the two will fight when they reach the Cornucopia. Lorelei is braced to make a run towards the Cornucopia but looks a little relaxed as she is the closest of her allies. Ryoko and Anabel both are looking determined to prove themselves, something that will provide drama should one of them die. But the pair from Two has her the most perplexed. Yes, they were her favorites due to their relationships with victors. And they had stirred up the most drama at the interviews last night.

 _Seven, six, five…_

Watching them now, Lisia feels her heart quicken in excitement, but that could also be from the games starting in mere seconds. Glacia has the most determined face, anger showing as her muscles are tense and ready to sprint forward at the sound of the gong. She will prove to be one of the most exciting tributes in the games. And Lance is looking around, face unsure as he prepares to start running, but not as prepared as Glacia. He glances to the left and Lisia knows his eyes are on Caitlin. She can't wait to see the drama unfold when they carry out their secret plan to meet up.

 _Four, three, two…_

Lisia takes a final look at her creation, grinning as she puts her hands together and leans forward, anticipation filling her now that her games are finally about to start. So many hours and tears went into this and its finally here. Everyone has loved the theme so far for the chariot rides and interviews, but little did they know that those were just the beginnings of it. She starts smirking as she watches her ancient Greek city, full of anticipation at the thought of watching her Quarter Quell.

 _One…_

The gong sounds and I wait a fraction of a second to allow Glacia to sprint off, not wanting to get in her way after the crazy look she had in her eyes. As I run off, I see her knock over Wattson who was nearby and hear the loud crack as his neck slams on a piece of rubble. My stomach feels terrible at the sight but I try to keep running, making my way closer to where Caitlin is on the opposite side of the ring.

The boy's ally cries out and I try to push the sound away, knowing I need to figure out what I'm doing. Caitlin sees me starting to run towards her and shakes her head at me before turning to where Lyra is waiting by her platform closest to the Cornucopia. I turn and start sprinting towards the items, knowing that I just wasted time trying to go to Caitlin when I should have ran straight to the Cornucopia.

I push my legs harder when I see Glacia run inside. Ardos is fighting against Brody outside but I don't worry about them. I know he can handle himself. Some tributes have started to run away with items by the time I reach the Cornucopia and I quickly grab some knives located on the outskirts of the Cornucopia, refusing to run in completely empty handed. Caitlin and Lyra are gathering supplies on their own and I decide that I will make sure they stay safe from other tributes. I turn around, waiting to see someone run towards me and my heart nearly stops when I see a blonde girl tackle Caitlin to the ground. I recognize Anabel and I start running towards them as the roll over items yet I don't know what I'm going to do. I can't kill Anabel but I can't let Caitlin be killed. But as I get close, they suddenly go still and I fear the worst has happened to Caitlin. Anabel is on top of her but suddenly her she is rolled over, revealing a knife lodged in her chest.

My stomach drops at the sight of the young girl dying and as Caitlin stands up, she's breathing heavy and has blood on her. A sudden movement in my peripheral vision has me turning and I throw my knife as soon as I see that the girl is running towards me with a weapon. She falls to the ground and I realize it's Cynthia as I realize I just took someone's life without thinking about it.

I turn back to Caitlin and realize that most of the tributes have left and pick up a random bag nearby and shove it towards her. "Go. Get and axe and go!"

Caitlin listens to me and gives me a sad look before running away to grab an axe a few feet away. I turn towards the Cornucopia to grab a sword from inside, wondering if I will see Caitlin again. It seems as if everyone else has run away now and Ryoko and Ardos are jogging back towards the Cornucopia from different directions. I pick up one of the first swords I find in a pile that seems to have been sifted through and step back out, finally taking my first real look at the arena around me. Directly in front of the opening is the building we started in, looming up high but broken in many places. Columns line the entire perimeter of it and rubble surrounds it. I want to look at it more but hear commotion to my right. I turn with my sword up, ready to fight against someone but only see Glacia and Cyrus fighting. Lorelei approaches me, also watching the fight and with her bow notched. I briefly wonder if she is planning on keeping Glacia alive if something goes wrong but I hear a yell behind me that makes my heart almost stop.

"Anabel! No!" I hear the pained voice of Ardos and I turn to see him throw his weapon aside as he approaches the dying girl. He drops to the ground and pulls her onto his lap, frantically trying to press his hands against the wound that is now pouring blood since someone removed the knife. "Please don't die on me."

I walk towards them, feet feeling heavy against the ground as I know who caused the death. I feel as if I should have stopped it from happening but then what? My plan with Caitlin would have been revealed and they would have targeted me. But Anabel would be alive. The girl tries to put a shaky hand up on his face and he grabs on to it. Tears are falling from his eyes as I stand next to them, not knowing what to do. Ryoko is walking towards us, looking destroyed at seeing his friend dying. "Ardos, you know I wouldn't have won," she says quietly and the pain is clear in her voice. "You have to win for both of us now."

"I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise to protect you," Ardos says through his tears and I see Anabel give a faint smile to him. "No, Anabel, you can't die!"

She reaches up a shaky hand towards his face as she whispers to him, so quiet that I can't even hear what she has said. But he does and her hand slips down, leaving blood on his face. He pulls her closer to him and from the way her body is limp, I know that she has died.

Ardos sobs against her, the sound being muffled. I look around at the others, refusing to look at Anabel. But then I start to notice the bodies around us. Glacia is walking over towards us and I glance behind her to see Cyrus' body on the ground. I knew she would be able to beat him.

Ryoko speaks up from near me and I wish he would stay silent. "It was the girl from Seven." I look over at Glacia at this and she is watching me as she picks up a spear. She shakes her head a little, nothing the others would notice as she walks into the Cornucopia.

Everyone is silent except for the clanging of weapons inside the Cornucopia as Glacia goes through the weapons. I walk away from the others, not wanting to continue feeling guilty about Anabel's death. I start to head down a slope and stop, gazing around at the expansive arena surrounding us. A path leads down from where I stand to a sprawling city that looks to be destroyed. A large forest fills up a majority of the space that I can see and I know that will be where Caitlin goes. But my attention is drawn to the high walls surrounding the city. The Gamemakers have made it very clear where the arena is.

"What the hell is that?" someone says from behind me and I turn around, sword raised at a potential threat. Standing near the front of the Cornucopia are Glacia and Lorelei, the latter girl pointing off into the distance. I turn to see what it is and spot a giant red bird that is flying straight towards them.

Lorelei draws back her bow and seems ready to shoot it. Are the Gamemakers really sending mutts out so soon? "Wait!" Glacia shouts and knocks Lorelei's bow aside as the bird draws close. It's then that I notice what Glacia must have already seen in its talons that made her stop Lorelei from shooting the bird.

"Is that a gift?" Lorelei asks in confusion and I start walking towards them, wanting to see if the bird is in fact giving a sponsor gift. It slows in front of Glacia and their hair whips around at the wind from the bird's wings. Glacia holds out her hands and the bird drops the silver cylinder into them before taking off, flying back in the direction it came from. She stares at the package, turning it over in her hands. "Well open it already!"

I watch as Glacia removes the top and peers inside. She pulls out a note and smirks as she reads it. Undoubtedly, the note has some sort of message for her from Darach. She pockets it and finally opens the container and peers inside as I wait expectantly to find out what she has been given already. When she slides out a silver weapon, my stomach drops at her being gifted a weapon. Even at the start of the games, that would cost a fortune. Already she's doing so much better than I am since she was able to be gifted a weapon.

She carefully examines it before pressing something on the bottom, causing the weapon to extend into a spear. As she twirls it around and tests the blade, I start frowning at her now having her best weapon. And from the look on her face, she's ecstatic about this gift.

Ardos clears his throat and she puts on her façade again, not letting us see anymore of her delight as she turns to us. When she sees all of us gathered around, she closes the spear and tucks it away in her jacket. "Well, we need to figure out a plan," she finally says and I find myself agreeing with her. Now that the bloodbath is over, we need to know what we're doing and be prepared for anyone that tries to attack us. Death could happen at any point. But most importantly, I need to figure out how I'm going to leave them and get to Caitlin. "First, we're going to need to move a small distance away so that they can remove the bodies." I glance at Ardos at this, seeing the pain on his face over Anabel. And I want to join him in feeling sorrow for Anabel but I can't allow it to show. Not if I'm going to make it out alive. Glacia waits a few seconds before Ardos gives her a nod and she continues. "Then we will go through the supplies, everyone gets weapons, and then we set up a watch schedule and figure out what to do next. Sound good?"

Glacia stares at the rest of us, waiting for us to agree with her. And I do, as much as I don't want her to be in charge. She gives a nod before turning to the supplies and I follow her, wanting to start gathering supplies for when I leave.

My jacket now weighs more with the knives tucked away inside it, more than I could ever need to use. But I want to be prepared to leave at any time and I don't know how many weapons Caitlin and her allies will have. And so in secret I started tucking away supplies that I can have with me if I need to leave at a moments notice.

The Gamemakers gave a good amount of supplies, all of which are now neatly organized within the Cornucopia. We have more than enough food, water, and supplies to survive on our own in the arena.

Once everything is organized, we all gather around. I tuck the belt of a sword around my pants as I approach them, knowing I won't let this weapon leave my side at any point. Glacia puts her hands on her hips as we approach her, looking content at the supplies we have. "So watch schedules. We need to have someone watching at all times during the night. There's enough of us that we can have small shifts. I'll go first."

Glacia's agreeance to take the first shift doesn't surprise me as I know she only trusts herself. But the second voice to speak up quickly does surprise me. "I'll take second," Ardos speaks up and Glacia gives him a curious look.

"The rest of you can figure it out later," Glacia says after a few seconds and I doubt she'll let me take a watch on my own out of fear that I'll sneak off. She points over to the pile of tents that has more than enough for each of us to have one. "Now, where are we setting these up?"

"How about inside the building?" I ask, already having thought about this while we were going through the supplies. At least in there we'll have a roof over our heads and some cover from the elements the Gamemakers might throw at us.

"Oh, why not," Lorelei says and she gives a shrug at this. I'm almost shocked to see her agree with me. "At least then we don't have to worry about tributes getting to us from behind."

I didn't think about this aspect of the building but I suppose Lorelei would have realized this with her career mindset. Glacia doesn't say anything to this but simply grabs a tent and starts walking towards the building, showing her agreeance with this idea silently. Everyone else starts grabbing a tent and heading towards the building. I take one myself and follow after them, everyone looking around at the building curiously. Glacia has stopped at the first platform on the left side and I walk over to her, curious to see what she has seen about this building. Now that we aren't preparing to start fighting, I'm able to look carefully at the statues fallen behind the platform. Almost right away I recognize the style of dress as being what everyone wore in the chariot rides. "Apoll?" Glacia says out loud to herself.

The statue holds a bow and I recall the tributes from Eight being at this platform. I frown a little at the memory of killing the girl from Eight before blocking it away, not yet ready to deal with that pain. "Apollo," I speak up, noticing the word etched on the platform. Well, it looks like 'Apoll' but the statue makes me guess it's named after the Greek god. She turns around to look at me with an eyebrow raised and I shrug and point to the platform. "You can barely see the 'o' but based on the tributes from Eight starting there and the statue looks a little like their chariot ride outfits, I'm guessing it should say Apollo."

"Hmm, interesting," Glacia mumbles at this and she begins walking along the platforms to the right of the one for Eight, staring at the statues. I follow along with her, paying attention to the words etched on the platforms, having to make guesses about some missing several letters. _Dionysus. Hermes. Hephaestus._ Glacia pauses at the platform that we started with and I know it will be for Ares. "You can only see an A," she mumbles once more and I start looking around the building, realizing there are statues for eleven different Greek gods and goddesses. I glance out of the building and can see some of the buildings in the west, all broken down. I start to recall the way Galen seemed to almost think there is a theme to the arena. I walk closer to Glacia, mind starting to reel at the thoughts of how everything so far before the games has seemed to be themed. Glacia turns around to look at me, her smirking face momentarily distracting me. "It's some sort of building dedicated to the Greek gods and goddesses we were for the chariot ride." She points over to the platform next to the one we started on, "That one will be Zeus and the one next to that one will be Poseidon."

I glance around the building again, starting to realize what the arena might be. "I wonder about the rest of the arena…" I trail off as I turn deep in thought, staring around at the statues fallen around us. I turn back to Glacia, feeling confident that the arena is an Ancient Greek city but I'm interrupted by a piercing scream.

Glacia instantly has her spear out and opens it as she starts running south towards the direction of the scream. I place a hand on my sword and start following them, fear running through me at the thought of getting attacked by someone. Lorelei runs up to Glacia with her bow ready to fire. "What was that?" Glacia questions as they start climbing over the rubble at the edge of the building. Another scream sounds, closer than before and I quicken my pace as Ardos and Ryoko approach me, all with weapons ready. I carefully climb over the rocks, not wanting to injure myself and cautiously approach the two females at the edge of the cliff.

"Who is that?" Lorelei asks as I reach the edge and carefully peer down, along with Ardos. A girl is running towards the cliff, being chased by a terrifying mutt that seems to have the head of a woman, the body of a lion, and the wings of a bird.

"Aislinn, I think," Ardos says quietly from my right as the girl reaches the cliff. She starts climbing and I can see her face for a moment. He is right about who the girl is. The mutt reaches Aislinn before she can climb a few feet and rips her to the ground.

I turn away as she starts screaming, limbs being ripped apart by the mutt. My stomach turns at the thought of being killed like that and I watch as Glacia turns away, not looking fazed at all. "Well, that mutt is going to kill her. That's one less tribute for us to deal with."

The screams become more anguished and I cringe at the sound. "That's terrible," Ryoko says and I couldn't agree more with him. I look over at him next to Lorelei, his face full of fear and shockingly different from his normal self.

I stare at him as Glacia starts walking back to the building. I notice Lorelei adjust her aim and pull back her arrow, holding it still for only a second before releasing it. She stays posed and I turn back to the ground as the screams stop, seeing the torn body of Aislinn with an arrow embedded in her chest. A second later a cannon sounds and the mutt steps back from the body, giving one icy glance up at us before walking back across the field.

"What was that for?" Glacia asks angrily from behind us and I glance over to see her glaring at Lorelei for a second.

"Would you want to die like that?" Lorelei gives a huff and Glacia turns back around, storming off into the building. I don't understand what Glacia's issue is with Lorelei ending the girl's life. She would have ended up dead either way. Why not give her a quick end? "Whatever," Lorelei mutters and starts heading back into the building, putting her bow over her shoulders as she does so. Ryoko stares down at Aislinn's body for a few seconds before following after his District partner. I turn to Ardos, seeing him stare out at the sea for a few seconds before turning his gaze to the ground as he follows the others, his shoulders heavy with grief.

I stay at the edge of the cliff for a moment as watching the death of another person has brought to the surface my guilt at taking a life. I didn't think twice about killing Cynthia when I saw her running towards me with a weapon. No thought at all to the little girl's life that I just ended or the family that now mourns for her and curses my name. Yet I would probably do the same thing in an instant if it means staying alive.

I let out a sigh as I start walking back towards the building to set up my tent near the platform that reads Artemis. I need the reminder of Caitlin and why I'm fighting to make sure I don't lose sight of winning.

Darkness starts to fall inside the building, a small glow coming from the fire outside the western end, but I refuse to go near the fire with Glacia being on guard. I stay near my tent, staring at the statue of Artemis and recalling the way Caitlin looked the night of the chariot rides. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Ardos leave his tent and make his way to the edge of the cliff. I wait a few seconds as I watch him stand against the edge before starting to head over quietly, concerned that he might try to jump.

I walk past Lorelei's tent quietly near the One platform, not wanting to wake her up. Once clear of the building, I take a deep breath in the salty air from the sea and momentarily close my eyes, listening to the sound of the waves hitting the shore. I open them and start walking towards Ardos again, smiling a little at the sea. "Is this what it's like in Four?"

Ardos jumps slightly at my voice and looks over his shoulder at me as I reach the edge. The corners of his mouth turn up slightly at this before he starts frowning and turns back towards the sea. He closes his eyes and his face momentarily looks peaceful. "Yeah. The sea reminds me of home and when I close my eyes, I can almost imagine I'm on the beach in Four with Rickard and Anabel."

I pretend I don't see him wipe away a tear for his own sake and he opens his eyes, turning to look over at me. When I see his eyes glossy with tears, I feel my own sadness at Anabel dying so soon and guilt that it was Caitlin who did it. "Are you okay?" I ask him quietly.

Ardos returns his gaze to the sea and takes a few moments to answer. "I will be."

I give him a small smile and place a hand on his shoulder, giving him a comforting squeeze before letting go. I turn and start walking back towards the building, knowing he needs some time to mourn on his own. I only make it a few feet before the Capitol anthem starts blaring throughout the arena and I pause to look up at the Capitol seal in the northern sky.

The faces of those that died today start to show, starting with Wattson from Three. This was the boy who Glacia killed by pushing him aside. The next to show is Anabel and I feel my own eyes start to water as I hear a sniffle from Ardos nearby. The next face shown is Brody from Five and while I didn't know him, I feel some pity towards his family that now mourns him. His face is replaced by Jessie from Six. Another family that will mourn tonight. Then Cynthia's face appears in the sky and my stomach twists with guilt at having been the one who killed her. But if I hadn't, she probably would have tried to kill me. Her District partner Keenan is next in the sky and I feel pity for District Eight as they have lost any chance of victory on the first day. Aislinn is then shown and I know the body her family receives will not resemble the face of the girl displayed now. Perhaps they aren't cursing Lorelei and are grateful that she gave Aislinn a less painful death. And the last face shown is Cyrus, the one person I don't feel guilty about dying. He would have been the biggest threat outside of those I'm allies with right now.

The sky goes dark and the silence left in the arena after the Capitol anthem stops playing is eerie. Eight people have died today, one of which was by my hand. I start walking again towards the building, wondering how many more of the thirteen other tributes living will be killed by my hand.

* * *

 **If you want more information about the stories, please go to my website at** **thefifthquarterquell . weebly .com** **! It is now updated through Chapter 12!**

 **Now, the next chapter might take a little longer than a week. I barely been getting feedback on these stories and I've lost some of my motivation to continue them right now. I'm focusing more on my new SYOT because it's really taking off and I've been getting some great feedback. I do want to continue this stories so it's not going on hiatus, there's just going to be slower updates.**

 **But if you read this and really want me to write faster, please let me know and I will make the effort to get the chapters out faster.**


	13. The Games Day 2

**Chapter 13:**

I never imagined that I would be heading out to find children to kill.

But then again, I never imagined I would be part of the Hunger Games since I grew up in District Two without training. It just simply never was a thought that there wouldn't be volunteers to take the place of whoever was reaped. Yet here I am, heading off into the unknown arena probably filled with traps and terrible creatures that are willing to kill me. And that's not even including the people who want to kill me, especially the one leading the way.

There's no way I could have avoided going out to search today. Glacia wouldn't have let me stay at the camp today because she's smart and isn't going to leave me alone. And if I showed signs of not wanting to go, the others might start suspecting that I don't want to be part of their alliance at all.

I let out a small sigh as Glacia and I continuing down the sloping path of the cliff, starting to reach the edges of the city. Every part of me wants to turn left and head into the forest as I know that's where Caitlin is right now. But I follow Glacia as she turns right to head towards the grassy fields north of the cliff.

"I bet there's a lot of tributes in the city," Glacia speaks up for the first time since we set out, surprising me a little.

"Hmm?" I mumble as I carefully step over a large piece of stone. I look up at her and know she was directing this towards me. I mean, who else would she be talking to? It's just us today and I doubt she's gone crazy yet and started talking to herself. I take a moment to glance around at the city now that we're almost at eye level with it and realize how much of a labyrinth it is. This would be a perfect hiding place for other people which also makes it the most dangerous place in the arena. Well, maybe except for our camp at the top of the cliff. "Yeah but the Gamemakers are probably expecting that. Who knows how many mutts are in there."

Glacia stays focused ahead, nodding her head a little and giving her spear a small spin. As we pass by the opening of a house with the roof missing, I pull my sword slightly out of its sheath, creeped out by the darkness inside that seems unnatural and not trusting the Gamemakers. As much as Glacia likes to seem tough and unfazed right now, I can see her finger hovering over the button to expand her spear until we have cleared the buildings.

Ahead of us a small grassy area is untouched before the field. The river rushes by thirty feet away, proving to be too quick for anyone to cross like Ardos said. And now that we're on the ground below the cliff, it's clear that the grass in the field is well above my head. "That would be a good place to hide."

"I agree, that's why we're searching in there," Glacia says, sounding a little impressed with me and also surprising me as I hadn't realized I had spoken aloud. I glance over at her and she gives a small shrug at me before continuing towards the field. "Come on, let's get going. I bet someone is in there."

My stomach drops at the thought of actually finding someone in the fields. I don't want to fight someone or worse, have to kill someone. But I have to keep pretending to Glacia so I can join Caitlin soon and I guess that means venturing into the field in search of other people.

 _Boom._

We both freeze in our tracks at the sound of the cannon, Glacia pausing from pushing aside blades of grass that tower above her head and even pass above mine. She looks back at me, an eyebrow raised at the indication that the number of people alive in the arena has dropped to thirteen already. "Perhaps Ryoko and Ardos have found someone in the city. They did leave a little before us."

"Perhaps," I answer quietly as she starts walking into the fields. I pause a moment, glancing back at the city as my stomach twists at the thought of someone dying. Who's face will it be up in the sky tonight? As long as it isn't Caitlin's…

I take a deep breath before stepping after Glacia, knowing if I hesitate too long I will lose track of her in these fields. I quickly catch up to her, pulling out my sword as an eerie silence falls over us, broken only by the rustle of grass. A quiet growl has me whipping my head around, uneasy as I look around for the source and thinking I see shadows as the window rustles the tall grass. "Uh, Glacia? Didn't we see some mutts wandering around in here from up on the cliff?"

Glacia turns her head to glance back at me, a small grin on her face. "Oh we did. Are you scared?" She asks and I swear I hear a bit of laughter in her voice as she taunts me. How is she laughing about the possibility of mutts attacking us?

"No," I say, not even convincing myself that I'm not a little scared of mutts. If I'm going to die in this arena, I would really prefer not being ripped apart by some terrible creature the Gamemakers have made.

Glacia chuckles slightly and turns back around, still walking forward through the grass like she isn't fazed by this. But she does extend her spear, perhaps reminded that there are more things to fight in the arena than just children. We keep walking in silence for a minute and I can feel my heart and mind racing at thoughts of what might be hiding in these fields. Glacia suddenly freezes and I nearly run into her. She turns her head back slightly and holds a finger up to her lips, causing my hands to start sweating at the nerves of what is about to happen. The only reason she would do this is if she's spotted a person. And that means someone is about to die.

Glacia crouches down, holding her spear back and ready to put into use before slowly inching forward. Somehow, she's barely making any noise. I raise up my sword as I watch her moving, heart still racing. Once she starts to slip from sight among the grass, I start moving after her, not nearly as quiet as her.

There's a loud rustling of grass and Glacia swears before running after someone and I have no choice but to follow after her or be stuck alone in these fields. I struggle against the weight of the sword as I run, trying not to cut myself with it. But I keep Glacia in my sight and as the grass starts to thin, I can see the pair from Eleven running away from us. Surely we're close enough that Glacia could throw her spear and strike them. But I catch sight of the river ahead and realize why she hasn't thrown her spear. If she does, there's a risk of her losing the spear in the water and no one would risk a sponsor gift like that.

The girl lets out a scream and I watch her fall down, tumbling several feet from her momentum while sprinting away from us. Her District partner slows for a moment to turn back for her, but once he sees how close we are, he takes off into the fields. I'm filled with surprise that he would just abandon her like this as Glacia reaches her, kicking away a small blunt sword before putting a foot on her chest. She holds her spear pointed at her neck as I slow down, not wanting to witness another death.

"Please, please don't do this," the girl pleads up at Glacia and I can see the fear in her eyes. Tears slip down her face yet Glacia doesn't make a move to kill her. Is she hesitating?

"Lance, prove yourself," Glacia says and pulls back her spear but keeps her foot on the girl's chest. I stare at the girl without realizing what Glacia said, struggling to remember her name as I don't want to view this girl whose life is about to end as just another tribute.

Glacia looks back at me expectantly and my heart races as I realize what she wants me to do. Despite my heart and mind protesting against what I must do and trying to come up with any way out of this, my feet start shuffling forward. Surely everyone in the Capitol is watching us now and to refuse to kill the girl would be signing my death wish because why would the Capitol want a victor who is unwilling to kill? Even the youngest victors have proven their capability of killing people.

The girl is staring up at me with pleading eyes, tears streaking down her face as I crouch down next to her. Glacia keeps her foot on her chest, perhaps not trusting me to kill the girl before she tries to run away. "Please don't kill me," the girl whimpers to me, nearly stopping me in my tracks. How can I actually kill her? Yesterday I did it out of defense and didn't have time to think about it. But now, with the girl staring up at me, I don't know if I can do this.

I shakily set my sword down and take out a knife, feeling my resolve to do this slipping away with each tear she sheds. And I still don't know her name. My hand shakes as I bring the knife up to her throat and when she feels the cool metal against her neck, her whimpers become louder and I freeze, torn with guilt over what I must do and what I have never wanted to do. "I'm so sorry," I whisper quietly so Glacia doesn't hear but I can see in the girl's eyes that she has heard. There's a brief flash of understanding before I take a deep breath and close my eyes as I press down and quickly swipe the blade across her neck.

The feel of warm blood pouring onto my hand makes my stomach turn and I quickly stand up and stumble back a few steps, refusing to look down at the girl I just killed.

Lanette. Lanette was her name.

 _Boom._

I wipe my hand on my back where I won't be able to see the blood, hands still shaking as I tuck away my knife and turn my attention to Glacia. "Have I proven myself?"

A few seconds pass as she stares at me, face unreadable. Finally, she closes her spear and gives a single nod before picking up Lanette's bag. "Yes," she answers as she starts rummaging through it. She puts a knife in her jacket before taking the sword and going to the river, tossing the bag and sword in. I watch the bag float away as she walks back over, face determined and I know I won't like what she says but will have no choice but to go along with her. But at least for now I have proven myself to her alliance and perhaps she won't try to kill me yet. "Now, let's go see if we can find her District partner. He couldn't have gotten far."

Glacia says no more and takes off at a jog in the direction the boy had gone – Archie, the name comes clearly to me. I slowly follow after her as the grass thickens once more, and even though I shouldn't, I take a glance back at Lanette's body as the wind increases and a hovercraft appears to take her away. A bit of bile rises in my throat as I see the blood covering her body. It's all my fault this girl has lost her life.

I take a shaky breath as I turn back to follow after Glacia, not wanting to lose sight of her in this grass. I can only hope Archie can run fast enough to get away from us.

The fire crackles in front of me, providing some warmth as the sun quickly fades on the horizon. I poke absentmindedly at my can of beans, staring at the flames as they wave around. Guilt and worry course through me as the day's events won't stop tormenting me. The sight of Lanette's bloody body will surely haunt me for the rest of my life and I'll never be able to forget the sounds of her whimpering and begging for her life.

Yet what did me killing her do to benefit me? I'm still stuck in this alliance and have no idea if Caitlin is safe.

I let out a sigh before begrudgingly taking a bite of food, forcing myself to eat. And there's the worry part. The fact that the other cannon earlier wasn't from Ryoko or Ardos killing someone has just filled me with worry ever since the two first got back to our camp and told us they didn't see anyone. What if the cannon was for Caitlin? I won't know until they show the faces of the dead tonight. But should I be this worried when her winning would mean me dying?

I put my can of food down as more guilt moves through me at that thought. How can I feel so crazy about her but also question if I would want to die for her? I shake my head at these thoughts, hating this emotional turmoil coursing through me. No wonder Maylene avoided even the thought of dating someone until after she won. Feelings just complicate things way too much. And I had to be the idiot who caught feelings for someone in the games. Everyone knows it's a dumb idea and could probably get me killed. But I suppose as long as we don't show the Gamemakers signs that we'll repeat what happened in the 74th games, they'll let us be. Anything to give the crowd a great show, especially since it's a Quarter Quell.

Ardos sits down next to me and gives me a small smile as he eats some of his own food. I return it as best as I can before turning my attention back towards the fire. We sit in silence as the sun continues to descend and I know the faces of Lanette and the other tribute who died today will be shown very soon. But at least it won't be three since Archie managed to get away from us. Perhaps he's alive now because I spent so much time hesitating today. I can only hope this is why as the thought takes away a little bit of the guilt running through me for killing his District partner.

"Is this what you thought the games would be like?" Ardos asks out of the blue and I glance over at him, a little surprised to see him talking to me since he's been quiet most of the time we've been together at our camp.

I think about his question for a few seconds before shrugging. "I don't know what I thought the games would be like," I finally answer and he gives a small nod at this. "I never pictured myself being in the games and never feared being Reaped since there's always volunteers in Two." I stare at him, wondering what has brought him to this point and also worried that my question might get him to stop talking. "What about you?"

Ardos is silent for a minute and I start thinking he won't answer me before he finally speaks up. "I imagined myself being 18, trained so well and confident that I will be the victor. Not being here when I'm 15 or with someone I care for," he grimaces at this, " _Cared_."

I frown at him, still feeling upset at her death even though I know I shouldn't. But how can you not become upset when someone so young loses their life? "I'm really sorry about her," Ardos looks like he doesn't quite believe this and I quickly continue, "I'm serious. While I didn't know her as well as you did, I really liked her and I was sad to see her die." I pause and let out a sigh, "I also am sad to see the younger tributes die."

Ardos watches me carefully for a moment as I feel guilt running through me, now over Anabel's death. He finally looks away, not before I see his eyes glossing over with tears. "Thank you," he whispers, barely louder than the crackling fire. "She liked you and I know she would appreciate you caring."

I'm thankful for the sounds of trumpets preventing me from having to respond to Ardos because I simply don't know what to say to him. The Capitol seal appears in the sky, indicating that another day has passed. Already we've been in the arena for two days.

But the first face to appear in the sky has me filled with concern. Something must have happened to Caitlin's alliance for Lyra's face to be shown right now. Does that mean Caitlin is injured? I glance over at the forest before Lyra's face fades away and is replaced with Lanette's, worried that Caitlin is injured and possibly dying in the forest while I'm sitting here moping around. Concern for Caitlin – and also Phoebe – replaces most of the guilt I still feel over taking Lanette's life today.

Once the anthem stops, Ardos clears his throat and I look over at him to see an odd look on his face. Is it concern for me? But why? "I know you're supposed to have first watch tonight but I can tell you need time to rest." He pauses and nods his head back towards the temple, "I'll take first watch instead. Go sleep."

"Are you sure?" I ask, confused by his offer. He gives a nod before picking up his trident from beside him and staring towards the bottom of the hill, clearly ready to watch for anyone trying to steal our supplies. "Thank you," I answer quietly as I stand up, collecting my sword before making my way inside the temple and towards my tent. Lorelei is already tucked away in her tent and Ryoko gives me a nod of his head as I pass by him. In the distance, I can see Glacia sitting on the edge of the cliff, shoulders relaxed as she stares out at the water. As I reach my tent, out of the corner of my eyes I see a glimmer and look over in time to see Glacia reach out and catch a package attached to a small silver parachute that a bright red bird has dropped into her hands.

I scowl as I enter my tent, angry that Glacia has received another sponsor gift and I haven't received anything yet. Surely the Capitol is happy with me after today. So why haven't I gotten any sponsor gifts?

I kick off my shoes, letting out a sigh before pulling a blanket around my shoulders and sitting down, not feeling tired even though I know I should sleep. Clearly I'm not being exciting enough in this alliance for the sponsors. And I need to know what happened to Lyra and if Caitlin is okay before the concern eats away at me. I've already spent two days without making an effort to leave this alliance and go find Caitlin and as much as I want to find her, the thought of getting away from Glacia without her attacking me has me on edge. She's proven herself to be the most capable in this arena. The sponsors are recognizing that. She could easily stop me from leaving and kill me and I can't let Maylene see me die.

Maylene… how have I not thought about her more? All the time since I've been in the arena I've been thinking about Caitlin and not my sister. My sister who needs me way more than someone who cannot make it out of the arena alive if I'm going to make it out alive as well. I cannot imagine what she is feeling right now. Not even my concern when she was in the arena can match her worry for me. Yet I'm just blatantly ignoring thinking about her.

I glance around my tent, wondering if there are cameras inside it to let the Capitol see us, even when the others cannot. Surely there must be, even if I just can't see them. I take a deep breath before whispering, hoping there are cameras to pick up what I say. "Maylene, I know you're watching. Just know that I'm fighting as hard as I can to win so stop worrying so much."

I move into my sleeping bag, hoping that Maylene has gotten my message. A sort of calm falls over me, the first time all day that there hasn't been a turmoil inside of me. Somehow, realizing that I've forgotten my main reason to fight has managed to ease some of the guilt over killing Lanette. Because I must kill again if this is what will get me home to Maylene. And it's almost a relief to have finally accepted what I have to do in the arena. It surely won't make it any easier to kill again, but I'll force myself to remember that it is getting me one step closer to getting home to Maylene. I can deal with the guilt when I'm home with someone who understands what I've gone through in the games.

Yet as I try to get some sleep, I can't stop thinking about how getting this resolve is going to affect Caitlin. Just because I've remembered who I'm really fighting for doesn't mean I haven't stopped feeling the way I do towards Caitlin. And that's just going to make becoming the victor even harder.

I let out a small sigh and roll over, trying to get comfortable but aware that I probably won't be comfortable until the games are over. Tomorrow things are going to change. It's unclear how much longer I will be safe in this alliance so it's better to leave now before it's too late. Except now I'm starting to feel guilty that I'll be having these feelings towards Caitlin even though I know I don't want to die for her to win. It can't be wrong though to enjoy the time we have together in the arena. Any day could be my last and I don't want to live with hiding away what I'm feeling. Caitlin knows we both can't win. And in the end, I think I can do what I have to in order to win…

At least I hope I can.

Either way, that's a problem for later on when I hopefully reach that point in the games. For now, I must figure out how I'm going to get away from this alliance without someone trying to kill me. Perhaps I can just leave during the middle of the night. But then again, I'm not able to be quiet when walking around, I saw that earlier in the fields. No, I'll have to figure something out tomorrow. And then, I just have to find Caitlin in this giant arena filled with other tributes and who knows what kinds of mutts.

This might be quite the challenge.

* * *

 **Hello there, I have returned to these stories! I apologize for how long it took to write these chapters. I lost a bit of the motivation to write these stories and I got caught up with writing my SYOT. But, I really do want to finish these stories soon.**

 **So that being said, if you want me to keep writing, _please_ _review._ It's the best way for me to know that people are reading and honestly, seeing reviews gives me SO much motivation to keep writing. **

**I hope the next chapter will be up soon!**


	14. The Games Day 3

**Chapter 14:**

An opportunity like this was definitely not going to happen again. Now if only I could stop being so nervous and actually take it.

I let out a sigh as I keep pacing in front of the cornucopia, taking another glance back at Lorelei by the fire. Yeah, she's the biggest problem with me getting away from camp. At first, I thought Glacia was stupid to leave me behind here with Lorelei while the rest of them went searching again for tributes. But now, it's clear that she was smart because there's no way I'm going to escape from Lorelei unharmed.

"Would you stop pacing already?" Lorelei calls out to me and I cringe a little at her noticing my nervousness before walking over to join her by the fire. She gives me a look as if I have two heads as I sit down before absentmindedly taking a can of food from her. "And what are you even so nervous about?"

"Nothing," I answer before starting to eat some food while staring at the fire. The longer I wait here, the more likely it is that I'm going to run into Glacia on her way back. Maybe I could kill Lorelei to get away? I almost scoff immediately at this idea. There's no way I could beat her, even if she is off guard.

Lorelei lets out a sigh and I bring my attention back to her. "Do you think I'm dumb and don't realize you don't want to be in this alliance? I've known from the first day of training and honestly I'm surprised you've stuck around this long." She gestures towards the path down the cliff. "Leave."

I raise an eyebrow at her in surprise, wondering what is wrong with her. "Why don't you just kill me instead? Don't you think it's dumb to just let me leave?"

Lorelei gives a shrug at this and leans back on her arms, staring at me. "It's definitely a dumb idea. But like you, I'm also not a fan of Glacia. I think it will make her more annoyed that you got away than if I killed you now. So if I have an opportunity to make her mad, I'm going to take it." She pauses to smirk for a second and shrugs at me. "She needs to be reminded that she isn't completely in control of this alliance."

"Thanks, I guess?" I respond and we sit in silence for a moment as I question if she will really let me go. "Are you serious about letting me leave? She'll kill you when she gets back and finds out that you just let me leave."

Lorelei smiles mischievously at this and I don't like the look. I'm just happy that whatever she's planning is directed towards Glacia, not me. "Not if I make it seem like you caught me off guard and then escaped."

"And you really think she'll believe that?" I ask and Lorelei responds with a shrug. "But I still don't really understand why you're doing this."

"Because I hate Glacia and she's the biggest thing standing between me and victory," Lorelei responds angrily before shoving herself up. "Come on, let's make sure you have enough supplies to actually survive out there long enough for Glacia to find you."

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" I ask Lorelei as I get the heavy bag up on my shoulders. I glance down the side of the cliff, feeling my heart race in panic at the thought of climbing down that. "There's really no other way for me to get down?"

"Not unless you want Glacia to potentially see you," Lorelei answers cheerfully at this, also staring down the cliff. "Just don't slip."

I scoff at her answer and mumble to myself, "Yeah, just don't slip." From the smirk on her face, I know she heard me. "Well, are you sure the plan will work on your end?"

"Stop worrying about me and get going before Glacia comes back and kills us both." Lorelei takes a deep breath as she pulls out a knife and places it against her arm. "Oh this is going to suck," she closes her eyes for a moment before moving the knife quickly across her skin, leaving a thin line that starts bleeding after a second. When she opens her eyes and sees I'm still there, she grows angry. "Damn it, Lance. If you don't leave now, I will kill you. I will not hurt myself for no reason."

"Okay, okay," I answer quickly before going to the edge of the cliff and sitting down. I swing my feet over the edge, trying to find footholds before twisting around to face her. I catch sight of her giving herself another cut on her thigh before she looks back at me. "Hey Lorelei? Good luck."

"You two," she answers through gritted teeth before turning around to walk back towards her supplies. She pauses to turn back towards me, "Oh and Lance? If I see you again, I will kill you."

I chuckle a little and shake my head at her. "I wouldn't expect anything else from you." Lorelei smirks at this before continuing towards her supplies. I take a deep breath, feeling my palms sweating at the thought of climbing down this cliff. This will be just like the wall in the training center. No problem.

Except falling here will definitely kill me.

I take my weight off of the ledge and start slowly climbing down, keeping my body pressed closely to the cliff face. I stare up, refusing to look down as I slowly increase the distance between me and the top. A few minutes pass before one of the red birds flies above me, carrying a gift. I smile at this, happy to know that the Gamemakers are supporting Lorelei's decision to help me.

The climb down is slow as I test every spot I'm holding on to before moving to it. All the while, my heart is racing. A few times it seems as if there are no spots for me to grab and I look around, considering moving to the side. But before I can do that, a handhold appears. It seems unlikely but I can't help but wonder if the Gamemakers are helping my climb.

A cannon sounds, surprising me and almost making me slip. Another person is dead. I wait a moment, hoping I won't hear another cannon firing. A couple minutes pass and I feel certain that it wasn't Caitlin. I stupidly glance down, thinking I should be much closer to the bottom and quickly regret it. I close my eyes and wait for my panic to go away. I'm definitely halfway down but there's still at least 50 feet to go. But I can feel my arms growing tired so I grit my teeth and start climbing down faster, trying to be as careful as possible.

When I finally reach a few feet above the ground, I'm not sure how much longer I could have held out on that cliff and I jump down. I sit down immediately and lean against the cliff, letting out a sigh of relief that I'm still alive. My shaky hands bring up my water canteen to my lips and I have to fight against spilling it everywhere.

I did it. I actually got away from Glacia's alliance. Now to go find Caitlin.

I tuck my water canteen back into my bag before standing up on shaky legs. Let's do this. I keep close to the cliff face, wanting to get out of this open field and into the forest before someone spots me.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" A voice says from behind me and I grab onto my sword right away, not recognizing the voice. I draw the sword as I turn around, shocked immediately by the sight of the mutt that attack Aislinn the first day. The face of a beautiful woman stares at me as her body of some big cat stalks in front of me, the bird wings rustling on its back. "Now that's not very nice, drawing your sword on me already."

"You're a mutt," I say carefully, wondering why it hasn't attacked me already. I move my feet into a better stance but keep my sword down. "You're supposed to kill."

"Yes but I want to play a game with you first," the mutt smiles at me and I stay focused on its face, unsettled by the animal body it has. It sits down, crossing its front paws as it stares at me. Its body is massive and the face is at eye level with me, even while sitting down. "If you can answer a simple riddle, I will let you go. If you can't, well, we both know what will happen." I glance around for a moment, wondering if I could try to outrun her. "That won't work dear. You already saw what happened when someone tried to run."

The image of Aislinn getting mauled flashes in my mind and I know I won't be able to escape. "Fine. What's the riddle?"

The mutt smirks at this. "What is easy to get into, but hard to get out of?"

I sigh at this, struggling to figure out what the answer could be. I hate riddles. The mutt gets up and begins pacing in front of me, only adding to my stress. "Time is ticking."

"I'm thinking!" I shout at it and run a hand through my hair. Damn it, why did I have to get into trouble so soon after getting away from the cornucopia?

"Time's up," the mutt says cheerfully and crouches down, seemingly getting ready to pounce on me.

"Wait!" I yell and hold out my hands to stop it from attacking. "I know the answer, wait!" The mutt doesn't relax its stance but raises an eyebrow at me, the only indication that it will let me answer. "Trouble. It's easy to get into trouble, but hard to get out of. Which is what has been happening to me."

The mutt relaxes at this and gives me a smirk before turning around and starting to leave. "Very well, Lance Henderson. You may go this time. But if we meet again, know that you will have to answer another riddle."

I watch the mutt for a minute, making sure that I really can leave before tucking my sword away and turning around so I can keep heading into the forest. I've wasted too much time today and it's definitely early evening already. I can only hope that Glacia will be out late today.

I jog lightly towards the forest, once again keeping to the cliff. Once I reach the point where I can see over the edge of it, I carefully peer over to make sure there is no one in sight. A few buildings block me from anyone at this height and I don't waste any time darting across the path and into the shadows of the forest. I keep along this path as I keep heading west, unsure where to start looking in this forest for Caitlin.

As I pass the few buildings at the edge of the city, a flash of red out of the corner of my eyes has me pausing. I stare at the buildings, questioning if I actually saw that red hair. Could Caitlin really have been waiting this close to me this whole time without me even realizing it? I see a glimpse of the red hair again and run out of the forest and over to the buildings. It has to be Caitlin. No one else in the arena has red hair like that.

"Caitlin," I call out softly, knowing she is probably hidden well and won't reveal herself to anyone, especially being so close to the career camp. "Caitlin, it's Lance!"

A figure steps out of the shadow of one of the buildings and I start grinning right away at the red hair before faltering when I see the face of a woman that isn't Caitlin. "Oh you looked so much nicer when you were smiling at me."

"Wh-h-o are you?" I stutter and start backing up towards the road. The woman in front of me is definitely not Caitlin.

"I doesn't matter who I am," she responds in a sultry voice and motions to me. "Why don't you come over to me?"

I shake my head at this, refusing to move closer to the mutt. It has to be a mutt. "No way, I'm not getting near you. You're a stupid mutt!"

The mutt screeches at this, its hair turning to fire. I flinch at the sound, expecting it to attack me but instead, it takes off running into the city. I take off running in the opposite direction, back into the forest. Its screams are going to draw any nearby tribute towards it and I did not go through all that effort of escaping just to get discovered by Glacia.

The forest quickly grows thick, forcing me to slow down or risk tripping and breaking my ankle. Once I slow down, I look around at the thick plants and I'm not sure how I'm ever going to find my way back to the path or even find Caitlin.

A sense of hopelessness starts to fill me, being fueled by the realization that the Gamemakers tricked me into thinking I had found Caitlin. I fall to the ground, swinging my bag in front of me. I let out a sigh as I rest on it for a moment, catching my breath after running away from the mutt.

How am I ever going to find Caitlin? This arena is huge and probably a third of it is forest. And the forest is definitely going to be where she is. It seemed so simple to say back in the Capitol that I would find her. But in reality, this is going to be quite the challenge.

I let out a sigh before standing back up. I'll never find her if I just sit around here all day. Surely if I wander around enough, I'll find her eventually. Or maybe, the Gamemakers will lead me to her. There's got to be some people in the Capitol who want me to find Caitlin. "Can you give me a hand here with finding Caitlin?" I call out, only a little hopeful that maybe the Gamemakers will give me some sort of sign as to where she is.

In the distance I can hear the roar of some beast and I don't really want to figure out what it is. Large footsteps start coming closer and I take off running west, refusing to sit still and wait for it to find me. Because unlike the last two mutts, I don't think this one will want to sit and chat before trying to kill me.

This is the last time I ask the Gamemakers for help.

* * *

As night starts to fall, I struggle to keep my eyes open long enough to see who died today. I need to, just to make sure it wasn't Caitlin and I haven't been running around all over for nothing. But my arms are sluggish from climbing down the cliff and I don't think I could run anymore without falling on my face. Despite the pain my muscles are in now, it was so worth it to get away from Glacia.

The thought of being away from Glacia is so satisfying. I bet she was so angry when she found out I left. Well it was her own fault for leaving me behind today!

The anthem begins to play throughout the arena and I look through small gaps in the leaves to see the partial image of the Capitol seal. I wait for it to change to the other face but it seems like it's taking longer than normal. Are they having technical difficulties? Unlikely.

 _Boom._

I raise my eyebrows at the sound of the cannon, unmistakable even with the anthem playing. After it sounds, they finally show the faces of who died today. And I am undoubtedly the reason why the first face is being displayed.

Yeah, Glacia was definitely mad when she found out I left. And she took that anger out on Lorelei. The image changes to the boy from Six, Eldes, I think, and I know his cannon was the one I heard earlier in the day. The cannon that just went off must have been for Lorelei. I would have heard Glacia and the others on the cliff if Lorelei was the cannon that fired when I was climbing down.

The sky turns black and silence falls in the arena. I stare up the sky still, feeling a bit of guilt over Lorelei's sudden death. She's dead and it's my fault. I might not have pulled the blade on her but I definitely signed her death sentence by letting her help me escape.

 _Snap out of it. You can't win and have Lorelei live._

I turn my attention away from the sky, shaking my head a little. I can't change the past. All I can do is keep moving forward and make sure my face isn't displayed in the sky. I let out a sigh before closing my eyes, knowing I should find a more hidden place to sleep but being too tired to care.

 _Snap._ My eyes shoot open at the sound of a branch breaking and I put my hand on my sword, ready to fight someone. I stare around me, trying to figure out who is sneaking up on me. But when I spot the source and it isn't a tribute, I shake my head angrily and force myself up, straining against my aching muscles to climb up the tree.

I try to move quietly, unsure if the mutt has seen me yet. Once halfway up the tree, I pause and lean down so I can get a better look. The mutt is a disgusting thing, half woman and half spider. But it's meandering slowly towards the tree, making me think it hasn't seen me. Well, I sure hope so because I don't want to find out if it can climb trees.

As it passes underneath me, it seems to slow and I hold my breath, trying not to make a single sound. It seems like minutes pass as it keeps walking, thankfully not seeing me. But I wait a few more minutes before moving, just to make sure it's not hiding nearby.

I let out a sigh and start sitting up on the branch before I hearing scuttling from on the ground. I cover up my mouth and press against the branch, silently hoping that I will be hidden enough to not be seen by the mutt. It's beady black eyes stare up into my tree, searching for me. Please, please let me be popular enough in the Capitol that the Gamemakers won't kill me with a mutt. And why a spider mutt? I would rather face Glacia with no weapons than fight off that thing on the ground.

Several minutes pass and I fight the urge to peer over the edge of the branch to see if it's still there, in case the action makes any sound. It seems like an eternity before the sounds of the mutt leaving once again reach me. But this time, I wait even longer pressed against the branch, my fear of making any sound and it discovering me keeping me paralyzed.

Finally, I slowly move my face over the edge of the branch, trying so hard not to make any sound. As I finally see the ground, my heart is racing at the thought of finding it's beady eyes staring at me. But the ground is clear and I search around the tree, just to make sure it's not close before sitting up, still trying to make as little noise as possible. I lean against the tree trunk and pull out my water with shaky hands.

Damn it, can I stop running into so many mutts? It's like the Gamemakers are purposely testing me today. Do they not approve of me leaving the careers?

No. If they didn't approve, I never would have made it past the first mutt. Or the second. Or the third. Or even the fourth one who just walked past. They're just having fun with me.

Some howling sounds in the distance, sending chills down my spine. I climb up higher into the tree, really not wanting to come across whatever it is that's making that noise. I lean against the tree and close my eyes, letting out a sigh as I once again feel the exhaustion from the day as the adrenaline of seeing the mutt starts to leave me. My muscles will definitely be hurting tomorrow.

A small caw makes me open my eyes quickly. I squint out into the darkness of the forest and feel a small gust of wind on my face before I see the bright red bird above me. It drops a small package onto my lap that feels warm before flying off. I unwrap it quickly, catching the piece of paper that falls out before it can fall to the ground. _'Keep it up – Roxanne'_. The note makes no sense as I haven't done anything really for at least an hour. I pull out the loaf of bread and when I see the bread drizzled in maple syrup, I know it's the specialty bread of District Seven and Roxanne's note makes a lot more sense.

I must be on the right track to finding Caitlin. I take a bite of the warm bread, a smile on my face as I think about Caitlin enjoying this back home. I tack a couple more bites before tucking the rest into my bag, wanting to share it with Caitlin. Tomorrow I'm going to find her. Finally.

* * *

 _Lisia Arune, Head Gamemaker_

Lisia couldn't help but smirk as she watches the screens of the sleeping tributes. The Capitol is raving about how amazing these games are, especially after the events of today. And why wouldn't they? Their favorite District pair caused quite a bit of drama today, of course with the aid of her mutts. Her Medusa mutt will surely cause nightmares to children as they fear her paralyzing gaze. It's a shame that Ryoko killed her. Not that Lisia can't make another but still, Medusa was one of her favorites. And then the sphinx questioning Lance? So great. She would have let him escape if he answered wrong but it was more exciting for him to answer correctly.

As Claudia recaps the events of today, Lisia chuckles at the deceit she caused Lance with the empusa. The Capitol loves it too, but it's not really a surprise that they are enjoying the romance. They're all a bunch of saps. It won't last forever but Lisia is going to milk that story for all that she can.

Lisia drums her fingers against her desk at she stares at the faces of the tributes still alive. It's almost a shame that Lorelei is no longer on that list but it's not a surprise. Glacia made the right move in killing her. Lisia had watched some of her Gamemakers make bets throughout the day about whether or not Lorelei would die today. She didn't partake in the bets but if she had, she would have one. The suddenness of Lorelei's death will make the girl be talked about for a few more days. And don't forget to add in the fact that she's the girl who let Lance escape to meet with his love. Lisia chuckles at this, not quite understanding why some people in the Capitol are obsessed with Lance and Caitlin. They know that both of them can't win. But hey, if it brings up her ratings, she'll do everything she can to create drama with Lance, Caitlin, and Glacia.

Lisia glances down at the animated map on her desk and brings it up onto one of the screens. She draws a path from the edge of the forest, past a sleeping Lance, and towards the open area where Caitlin and Phoebe rest. She speaks out to no one in particular but knows her Gamemakers are listening to her, "Glacia will be going into the forest tomorrow. Make sure she follows this path."

"How should we do that, ma'am?" Irena calls from the right side of the room. "That path is straight through the dense part of the forest."

"Irena, you can change the arena at will," Lisia responds smoothly and taps her fingers again on her desk. "So change the forest. I don't care how, just make sure Glacia, Lance, and Caitlin end up at the same spot."

"Yes, ma'am," Irena answers before turning back to her station, typing away furiously.

Lisia stares for a few more seconds at the map before bringing it off the main screens. Her attention is drawn back once again to the pair from District Two. Her stars of the Quarter Quell. Lance is restless in the forest from the mutts she keeps sending past him while Glacia is restless on watch. Her victor will be one of them and it's only a matter of time before she knows who. Lisia has her guess but won't force anything in the final battle. But for now, she'll force them together.

Tomorrow will be quite interesting.

* * *

 **Hello everyone and welcome back to the Fifth Quarter Quell! We've finally reached the point where our two stories go separate ways woo! But clearly Lisia isn't going to let them stay apart for long haha.**

 **I'm really excited for you to see where this story is going! And games stuff is just always a lot of fun. I know my updates may be slow, but I will update. In the meantime, go check out my SYOT I have going on right now.**

 **So I'm curious, any predictions about who will end up winning? I still have a few chapters planned before we reach the finale.**

 **Well that's all I have to say, so I will see you all next time for Day Four of the games!**


	15. The Games Day 4

**Chapter 15:**

So far, I was starting to really doubt that I was on the right path towards finding Caitlin. Either that or the Gamemakers are purposely trying to keep us apart. I didn't think that would be a thing this morning when I first set out west, but the forest just grew thicker and thicker, making it impossible for me to make it through areas and forcing me to head in different directions, even backtracking at times.

I let out a loud sigh and sit down on the ground, wiping away some sweat as I try to look up through the trees to figure out the time. The sun seems to be almost directly above me, making me start scowling and start kicking at a tree nearby. Great. Several hours have gone by and I'm pretty sure I'm going around in circles.

"Are you sure we're heading in the right direction?"

I throw myself flat to the ground at the sound of Ardos's voice, mentally cursing myself for not staying quieter. "Of course," Glacia responds, way closer than I would like. I pick my head up just a little so I can peer above the underbrush, trying to figure out where they are.

Sure enough, about forty feet away, Glacia and Ardos are walking through the forest. Glacia looks like she's trying to stay confident about where she's heading, but I can see the doubt in her eyes. And Ardos, well, he's not hiding his doubt at all. "And how are you certain that Lance is in the forest?" Ardos asks and I bring my head down, silently praying that they won't see me or head over in my direction. At least I had been smart enough to grab a well camouflaged backpack but still, it wouldn't be hard to see me.

I can't hear Glacia's response to how she knows where I am, but it's probably something like 'Oh he never wanted to be in our alliance and it was only a matter of time before he ran off to be with the girl from Seven, so of course she's going to be in the forest'. Or something like that. But I can hear Ardos's response, "Did he say anything about wanting to leave?"

I pick my head up, wanting to see what Glacia's response is to this question. They're thankfully walking away from my hiding spot and Glacia shakes her head. Why is she not just telling Ardos everything about me? And why isn't Ryoko here? Did they leave him behind?

As they keep walking away from me, I slowly stand up, staying hidden behind a tree for a moment when they stop walking so Glacia can turn back to look at Ardos. Once they start walking again and they're a considerable distance away, enough that I hope they won't hear me if I accidentally step on a branch, I start following after them. Sure, it might be incredibly dumb for me to not just head immediately in the opposite direction, but they're heading northwest – or, at least, I think close to northwest – and part of me just wants to keep an eye on Glacia and where she is. She's my biggest threat so why not watch her? What's that phrase Maylene always says? Keep your enemies at a safe distance? I don't know, something about watching your enemies closely.

I almost let out a sigh at the thought of Maylene, just stopping myself before I make an audible sound. She would have had no issue figuring out what she's doing in this arena, yet I've just been struggling the whole time. But then again, she had years of training and actually wanted to be here. Glacia slows her pace, falling into step with Ardos but still walking forward, her body seeming relaxed. I almost laugh at the thought of Maylene watching me and how she surely is yelling at the screen right now for me to head into the opposite direction. And really, I should be listening to her advice to not trust Glacia.

But as I walk behind them, the forest seems easier to walk through and it's almost as if I'm walking on a path right now. I pause and glance back, seeing the path I walked through dense and now difficult to walk through. And to the sides, the forest is the same. I let out a small sigh as I keep following after Glacia, having a terrible gut feeling that the Gamemakers want me to keep following her right now. But where are they leading us towards?

The forest starts to get lighter up ahead where Glacia and Ardos are walking and I quicken my pace, not wanting to lose sight of where they go on the path. As I do so, my brain yells at me to walk the other way but I just can't stop following them. I have to know where they're heading.

 _Boom._

Glacia and Ardos freeze in the path and I do the same back in the forest. I can see the surprise on Glacia's face as she looks back at Ardos before turning to anger. But all I can feel is concern that the cannon was for Caitlin's. Will I have spent the last day and a half searching the arena just to never be able to find her?

No. There's ten of us, well, nine now, remaining. Two of the three threats are in my sight and I doubt Caitlin and Phoebe would attack Ryoko. Caitlin is strong and can fight. Surely it wasn't for her. I can't let myself doubt her capabilities to survive. No, I must keep hope because the alternative is just too upsetting.

Glacia starts moving down the path to the left with Ardos at a faster pace that I struggle to keep up with in the woods as I follow them, just hidden inside the trees. Glacia suddenly laughs loudly, making me scowl and grow annoyed at the sound. What can she possibly be happy about here in the arena? But Ardos starts laughing too and an unexpected feeling courses through me. I shouldn't feel jealous about Glacia and Ardos joking around. I had willingly left them behind yesterday. Yet why am I jealous that Ardos is seemingly just as friendly with Glacia as he was with me?

They stop once more and I freeze as well, silently praying that they didn't stop because they heard me following them. But their attention stays focused on the path ahead and I strain to look through the trees to see what could have made them stop. My heart starts racing when I realize the logical answer…They've probably spotted a tribute and if the Gamemakers purposely made me follow them…Oh god, what if it's Caitlin?

As they start moving forward slowly once more, I move further into the forest where I can quicken my pace without them hearing yet keeping an eye on them. Soon enough, I catch sight of a stone wall through the trees and know that must be what they caught sight of. They reach the wall before me and I can see them pause next to an opening in the wall. Glacia slowly peers over the edge for a moment before crouching back down. When I catch sight of her face, a chill runs down my spine. She says something to Ardos that I can't hear but I know I won't like the answer.

I quickly pick up my pace to the wall and lose sight of them just before they stand up and start running. Before I can reach the wall, I trip over a branch and start scrambling to get up so I can see what's going on.

 _Boom._

Oh god, no, please don't let that be Caitlin. I push myself up, drawing my sword right away. I reach the wall and when I look over, it doesn't take long for me to find her. I let out a small sigh of relief when I see her standing before my relief quickly turns into fear at the sight in front of me. Caitlin stands on a raised platform, axe raised and looking quite fierce as she faces down Glacia and Ardos slowly walking down the steps towards Caitlin. On the ground by the platform lays Phoebe's still bleeding body, a knife embedded up to the hilt in her chest and face permanently etched in fear. The sight of her body instantly makes my stomach turn and I move away from the wall just in time to release my breakfast.

"I'm not afraid of you!" I hear Caitlin shout as I stop hurling up my food, stomach still twisted at the sight of Phoebe's body. Another person dead. It could have so easily been Caitlin's body there.

"Well you should be very afraid of me because I'm not going to give you a quick and easy death." Glacia taunts her and her voice makes my stomach now twist in fear. I scramble up to my feet, fighting the urge to throw up once again, this time out of fear for Caitlin. I have to protect her. I can't let Glacia kill her. "It's going to be long and drawn out and very painful because you," Glacia pauses as I start pulling myself over the wall, struggling to not lose my sword in the action. "You're the reason why I have had to struggle since the first day of being in the Capitol to keep my alliance. Because you and Lance had to start sneaking around at night together!" I slip as I try to throw myself over the wall, hands unable to keep a tight grip on the wall as they start sweating.

I slam onto my back, air almost knocked out of me and I quickly get back up. "No, no, no, I can't let Glacia kill her," I mumble to myself as I step back, giving myself a running start to jump up onto the wall. I barely keep my grip and struggle to reach the top.

"Well guess what!" Glacia keeps her taunting and I glance over to see her pointing her spear over at Caitlin, face showing more anger than I've ever seen from her. "Lance isn't here right now to protect you! Or try to protect you," she lets out a laugh at this and I throw myself over the wall, starting to feel my own anger at this. I will not let Glacia kill Caitlin without trying my damn hardest to protect her! "No, Lance isn't here for you two to die together."

I almost laugh at how wrong she is, if not for the fear running through me at the fact that Caitlin isn't running and wants to actually fight Glacia. "Caitlin, run!" I shout down at her, begging her to run away and not stupidly fight against Glacia.

Caitlin immediately turns over to look at me and when she sees me, her face lights up at the sight of me. "Lance!" She calls out as I start running down the side of the area, racing down the stairs to protect her.

When she starts looking even more determined to fight, I shout at her once again in disbelief. "Get away from her already!"

I jump up on the platform and move in front of her, sword held out and ready to do whatever it takes to protect her. A brief bit of doubt unwantedly goes through my head, questioning if I really am willing to die for her. But I push it aside as I stare ahead at Glacia, knowing we might be able to take her on together. I catch the last remnants of surprise on her face before it turns to amusement as Caitlin steps out from behind me and stands to my side, still prepared to fight. "Hello, Lance," Glacia begins to taunt and I grip my sword tighter, staring at the spear she holds tightly. I've seen the way she can use it so effectively. Would I be able to get out of the way in time if she throws it? "Did you and Lorelei have a fun time together yesterday? I bet you did, otherwise she wouldn't have let you leave." She pauses as my anger continues to grow, now at her insinuating that something happened between us. "I'm sure you saw her face up in the sky last night. Don't worry, it was me that killed her."

Even though I knew that Glacia was probably the cause of Lorelei's death, it still fills me with rage to hear her so casually talk about it. "Go to hell, Glacia," I call down to her, hoping my tone doesn't reveal the fear in me right now at insulting the most trained tribute in the arena. "I'm not afraid to fight you."

"Oh but I think you are," Glacia responds coolly and I internally curse her for being able to somehow read me so well. She adjusts her grip on her spear, poising it to be thrown towards us and my blood runs cold when I realize she's aiming at Caitlin.

I throw my arm out to push Caitlin aside as the ground starts to shake violently, throwing me off balance. Caitlin grabs on to my outstretched arm as a large crack starts to form in the ground and quickly opens into a fissure. It spreads out quickly between the four of us and up the sides of the pit, effectively separating us from each other.

"What the hell is happening?" Ardos asks as the shaking comes to a stop.

I stare down at the fissure, just as confused as Ardos is by what happened. It easily is six feet across and looks incredibly deep. Surely no tribute would dare jump across it.

"Run," I whisper to Caitlin and give her a small push before she starts running towards the opposite side from where I came. As I follow her up the stairs, I keep glancing back at Glacia, almost waiting for her to throw a weapon towards us as we flee.

"What are you doing?" I hear Ardos yell out as we near the top of the wall and my heart starts to race at the thought of him now trying to attack us. I quickly give Caitlin a boost to the top of the wall and she reaches down to help me over. As I clear the wall, I spare one last glance back to see Glacia turning around and starting to head in the direction she came from.

I take Caitlin's hand and take off running as fast as possible, only slowing when I realize that she can't keep up with my pace. I don't trust Glacia to not come and find us. I have no idea how much time passes of just running out of fear and the only thought I can process is simply get away from Glacia.

"Lance," Caitlin finally calls out and tugs on my hand. The sound of her voice surprises me, bringing me out of my fear and adrenaline-fueled running. I slow as I turn around to look at her and come to a stop when I see how red her face is from running. But when I notice the tears streaming down her cheeks, I pull her towards me and hug her tightly as she starts to sob. "They just killed Phoebe. It all happened so fast! One minute we're relaxing and eating some food and the next Phoebe is dead and I'm thinking I'm next!"

"I know," I whisper to her, understanding her fear. "But you're safe now. I found you. I _finally_ found you."

Caitlin's grip tightens around me at this and I feel my heart start racing now that I can finally stop being afraid of Glacia. I finally found Caitlin. No more pretending in front of the careers. No more searching around and being afraid every time a cannon went off that it was for her. She steps back from me, tears still in her eyes as she starts hitting my chest. "That was so stupid!"

"Ow!" I yell and step back from her, not understanding what I did for her to start hitting me. She shakes her head at me, tears still streaming down her face before letting out a sob and stepping towards me again. "What was stupid?" I ask before tentatively holding out my arms for her to step in again.

"Running in like that," Caitlin answers as she wraps her arms around me once more. She sniffles and I can feel my shirt growing damp on my shoulder from her tears. "You could have died there! I could have taken her…"

"Caitlin," I respond quietly before letting out a sigh at her. "Okay, yeah, it was really stupid for me to run in like that. But you and I both know you couldn't have taken on Glacia _and_ Ardos together. But we're safe and together now. That's all that matters."

Caitlin lets out a happy laugh at this and steps back once again, grabbing on to my hands as she smiles up at me. Even though there are still tears on her cheeks, the sight of her smiling in front of me brings a smile onto my face. "Yes. Finally, you're here…I was starting to doubt if you were ever going to show up…" Caitlin says quietly and I can feel my heart breaking at her doubt for me. She lets go of my hands and that's when my smile disappears from my face. "Maybe you didn't want to find me anymore. Maybe you realized that your ticket to victory was by sticking with the careers…Maybe with Lorelei?"

"What are you talking about?" I ask right away and know my face must show my confusion at what she means about Lorelei.

"Glacia said something about you two…" Caitlin drops my hands and steps back, her face showing sadness while all I can feel is shock. "Did something happen between you two?"

"Absolutely not…" I let out a loud sigh, completely disappointed that she would believe this. "Glacia wanted to make us mad and turn on each other. I promise you, nothing happened between us. She helped me get away because she hated Glacia and wanted to see her plans get ruined." When Caitlin still doesn't look like she fully believes this, I reach out and grab onto her hands tightly, but she lets go of them. "Caitlin, please, you have to believe me. Glacia will do anything to win and will especially do anything to keep us apart."

Caitlin is silent and those few seconds seem to stretch on forever as I start to worry that I just went through all of this effort to reach Caitlin, just for her not to believe me. Finally, she lets out a sigh and tentatively holds out a hand for me. "I believe you," she says quietly and I take her hand once more. She laces her fingers through mine and when I tighten my grip, she smiles tentatively at me, so different from the fierce girl who was ready to take on Glacia. "I'm so happy you finally found me."

"So am I," I answer quietly, staring at her for a moment. The effects of being in the arena for several days are starting to show as her face has plenty of dirt on it and her hair has quite a few leaves in it, probably from us just running through the forest. But she still looks so amazing. "I told you I would find you."

* * *

"So you really think the Gamemakers purposely separated us?" Caitlin asks as I throw another piece of wood onto the fire. As the sun has gotten lower, a chill has found its way into the forest. It was no question at all to build a fire and with the numbers dropping, there isn't much fear of being discovered.

I look over at her with an eyebrow raised as I move back to where she's laying on a sleeping bag on the ground. Once next to her, she wraps her arms around me right away and leans her head on my shoulder. "You don't think they did? It seems obvious to me."

"Oh I do," she responds as I wrap my arms around her, pulling her closer to me. I can hear the happiness in her voice at this as she continues. "It just seems weird that they wouldn't let us fight now because surely that would be interesting."

I give as much of a shrug as I can give while lying on the ground. I keep quiet about my true reason why I think Lisia separated us, not wanting to make her aware that I know of her plans for the big finale. And the thought of the victor most likely not being Caitlin is just something I don't want to think about it. "It doesn't matter anymore. And I don't know about you, but I don't want to talk about Glacia anymore."

Caitlin laughs at this, bringing a smile to my face. She picks her head up so that she can look at me, putting both arms on my chest to prop herself up. "Agreed. So what would you like to talk about instead?"

"I don't know," I respond lightheartedly, grinning up at her. "How about your family?"

Caitlin shakes her head at this a little, small smile still on her face. "We've already talked about my parents before. My life in Seven isn't anything special but I still love my parents dearly. But what about you?"

"What about me?" I ask, not liking where she's going with this.

"What about your sister?" Caitlin rests her chin on my chest, still staring up at me. "I want to hear about her."

"Everyone already knows all about my sister," I answer defensively, not wanting to talk about Maylene and just be reminded of why I shouldn't be like this with Caitlin right now.

Caitlin purses her lips at this. "Yeah, but they just know what we've been told through the games. I want to hear about her first hand from her younger brother."

I stare up at the trees above us, almost able to pretend for a moment that this is happening back in District Seven and that there aren't people out for our deaths. I let out a small sigh as I turn my attention back to Caitlin and my thoughts to Maylene. "My sister is…something else," I finally start and stare back up at the trees. A small smile forms on my face as I think about Maylene and everything she's done. "You know what she did for me. I doubt most siblings would volunteer for a fight to the death to save their younger brother."

I look back at Caitlin resting on me to see a smile on her face. "Most probably wouldn't. I remember rooting for her that year after Seven's tributes both died in the bloodbath…"

"Really?" I ask in disbelief that someone from outside of Two would root for Maylene.

"Yep," Caitlin responds and laughs lightly at this. "I thought her story was moving, just like the rest of Panem. But never did I ever think that someday I would be here with her brother."

This makes me smile a little and I start wishing she could meet Maylene. But the smile quickly turns to a frown when I realize that that probably won't ever happen. Caitlin notices the change right away and starts frowning as well. But before either of us can say anything else, loud trumpet fanfare starts blaring through the arena. "What's going on?" Caitlin asks confused and I shake my head, not knowing either what is happening.

"Attention tributes!" A voice speaks to us and it's easy to recognize Elliot right away. Besides, who else would be making an announcement to us? Caitlin raises her eyebrows in surprise at this but we both stay silent, wanting to hear what he has to say. "Congratulations on making it to the final eight! As I make this announcement, Claudia is already on her way to start interviewing your family and friends."

I smile a little at the thought of Maylene and almost start chuckling to myself when I realize I didn't let Claudia down and she gets to go see Maylene. Caitlin also looks happier at the thought of her family before frowning once more as Elliot continues. "Now, we have a surprise for you. To reward each of you for your valiant efforts at making it to this point, you will be able to pick a gift. Just one gift. Think long and hard about what you want this to be. This gift could mean the difference between life and death."

Elliot pauses once more and Caitlin and I share a look at this. A Gamemaker gift can truly change the odds in fighting against Glacia. If I think carefully about this, maybe there's a chance I can even the odds because there's no way I can defeat Glacia one on one. "All you need to do to receive your gift is to simply speak out loud and tell Lisia Arune what you want. Then, tomorrow morning, there will be a feast held at the Cornucopia at sunrise and you can claim your gift. Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor."

Caitlin is the first one to speak up in the silence left behind by Elliot's announcement. "Can I get a full sized Capitol feast?" Caitlin jokes with me and laughs a little at this. "There's only so many days you can eat beef jerky and crackers before getting sick of it."

"Don't joke about that," I respond right away, fearing that Lisia will accept that as Caitlin's gift. "You can get anything you want from the feast. Don't waste it on food."

"Why not?" Caitlin asks and pushes herself up so that she's sitting and can look better at me. "We have shelter, canned food, and plenty of water. I have an axe and you have a sword. Why can't I ask for something to make us more comfortable?" I don't have a good answer for this and she knows it. She looks around us before speaking up again. "So, not sure if I'm doing this right. But Head Gamemaker Arune, I would like the full sized Capitol feast for my gift."

"Is that all we have to do?" I ask her as she turns her attention back to me. She curls up against my side once again as I start thinking about what to ask for. "I don't know what to get. I want something to help me fight…"

 _Boom._

We both sit up at the sound of a cannon going off. I reach for my sword hesitantly, even though we have no idea who was killed or if they were anywhere remotely close to us. "I wonder who it was…" Caitlin says quietly as I keep looking around the forest surrounding us. "Riley is still out there."

"Yeah?" I ask as I figure we must be safe and pull here back down. I'm uneasy to keep talking about her District partner as there were three cannons that went off today. With how few are left, he easily could have been among them.

Caitlin doesn't speak up, perhaps realizing the same thing. We lay there in silence for a while, the only sounds being the fire crackling and occasionally some sounds of animals around. The latter puts me on edge as I recall all of the mutts that I saw last night.

The anthem starts to play, signaling sunset, something I miss being able to see from on top of the cliff. Caitlin turns so that we can both look through the leaves to see the pictures being shown. And the first one is a complete shock.

"Wow," I say quietly as I stare up at Ryoko's smiling face. "I wonder what happened…" I trail off as his image changes to Phoebe's and I pull Caitlin closer when I hear her let out a small sob. The final face is shown, the boy from Nine, one of the youngest remaining tributes. The sky soon goes dark and the arena falls silent once more. As I hold Caitlin and she mourns the loss of her ally, I can't help but think about Ryoko. I might have left their alliance, but I truly liked him. He was a lot of energy but he was a good kid. Way too young and innocent to ever be put into these games.

I start thinking about how he died, knowing he could have been the cannon that went off while I was following Glacia and Ardos today. Or he could have been that cannon that just went off. Either way, whoever killed him must be skilled because no matter if I liked it or not, Ryoko knew how to fight. He wouldn't have gone down easily. But who would have killed someone as happy and young as him without flinching?

I close my hands into fists, feeling anger coursing through me at whoever killed Ryoko. I need to be better prepared to fight. Clearly the others are already prepared if they can kill a twelve-year-old. "Hey Lisia," I speak up, a little surprised by the anger in my voice. Caitlin picks her head up at this and watches me carefully as I make my choice. "I would like armor that can't be pierced by weapons, especially spears."

* * *

 **I know, this chapter was long overdue. But oh well, life has been busy and I've been focused on Overlooked and Wayward. Which, you should totally check out because they're awesome and Wayward is a partial that's just getting started with the intros.**

 **But anyways! What did you think? I'm hoping I can get the next chapter done soon. There actually won't be too many games chapters left.**

 **Thanks for sticking around even when I take forever to update this. The next update will happen eventually. I promise I'm not giving up on these two stories. Thanks for reading and I'll see you for the next chapter, whenever that may be!**


	16. The Games Day 5

**Chapter 16:**

"Lance," Caitlin whispers from next to me, voice full of concern as I turn to look away from the road up to the Cornucopia. When we make eye contact, I reach out and take her hand, trying to comfort her slightly, but she shakes her head at me. "I don't think this is a good idea."

"It's not," I answer her honestly, starting to feel the same doubt coursing through me that is written all over her face. Are we about to run straight to our deaths, delivered by Glacia? Really, it's a terrible idea to go to the feast when Glacia is guaranteed to be there and surely waiting to face us. I can only hope that Lisia Arune will keep putting off the fight between us, because I'm not ready to face Glacia… Or to watch Caitlin die.

The thought of watching Caitlin die sends a shiver down my spine and my stomach twisting. God, I can't watch that happen…yet I'll have to watch that happen if I want to be the victor.

But I shake this thought away for another day. There are still seven tributes left…well, at least for now. Surely that will change by time this feast is over. "Caitlin, we have to go. There's no way I'll ever beat Glacia without that armor."

Caitlin sighs at this, but nods her head before turning her attention back out towards the Cornucopia. Her eyes widen and I quickly follow her gaze, feeling myself react the same way to the mutts now surrounding the Cornucopia. They're too far away to see very many details, aside from a few things, like the brightly colored wings and long sets of talons. "Well that just made things a lot more complicated," Caitlin mutters from next to me and I nod my head in agreement with her.

"Well," I start, letting out a short laugh as a grin starts to form on my face. "What are the odds that one of those will take out Glacia?"

"If only," Caitlin scoffs at this thought, but her tone has me smiling a bit more. Yeah, if only that could happen. But she straightens up and points towards the slope at a girl dashing forward. Not too far behind her, Archie also starts sprinting up towards the Cornucopia.

"Let's go," I tell Caitlin as I stand up, jumping over the stone wall we hid behind. As I start running, I can hear her right behind me and I tighten my grip on my sword. Caitlin reaches out and briefly takes my hand and I spare a glance over at her, getting a small nod from her. The action fills me with confidence that no matter what's about to happen, at least we're going to take it on together.

But I pull her to a stop halfway up the slope when the mutts come to life. Two of the mutts in front of us take steps towards us, gaze as sharp as the claws on their hands. On their backs are bags, surely our gifts, but which ones are ours? I drop Caitlin's hand to get a better grip on my sword as a loud scream pierces the air from near the Cornucopia. Everything in me wants to look and see if it was Glacia, but I keep my gaze locked on one of the mutts stalking towards us, it staring in return. Up close, the mutts are terrifying to see, part woman and part bird. The one closing in on me is covered in brown hair and feathers with a pair of blood red wings, the other one with auburn hair and silver wings…

"They're based off of us," I mutter as both mutts spring towards us, forcing me to duck to avoid its swinging claws. I swing my sword towards its legs as I try to back away, getting a terrible screech when I hit its leg.

I cry out as I get knocked into, barely having time to even think about stopping my fall. I hit the ground hard, feeling the air get forced from my lungs right before Caitlin's mutt falls on my legs, pinning me down. My mutt jumps towards me, grabbing onto my shoulders and digging into my shoulders with its claws. My shoulders burn with pain as I grit my teeth, groaning in pain as I force myself to reach out and push against the mutt. It stares down at me, terrible grimace on its face as it lets go of my left shoulder. I barely have time to think about blocking the next swing towards my face. The only thought going through my head is that I can't die yet. Not by some mutt.

But the impact never happens. Instead, the mutt collapses on me, forcing another groan out of me at the weight of two of the mutts on top of me. Sticking out of its back is an axe and I watch Caitlin rip it out, splattering my face with blood before I shove the mutt off of me. "Thanks," I tell her as she grabs the bags, giving a nod in response. I struggle to stand up, unable to put force on my shoulders without feeling sharp stabs of pain.

Caitlin grabs my arm and helps me up, not letting go as I pick up my sword from where it fell during the fight. "We have to go, now!" She yells as she starts dragging me away, my feet moving without thinking as I feel blood starting to drip out of the wounds on my shoulders. But I pick up the pace when I notice her glancing back nervously, realizing that at any moment Glacia could throw her spear down at us.

By time we reach the bottom of the cliff, we're sprinting and I pull her towards the left, wanting to hide in the shadow of the cliff instead of staying in the open to reach the forest. We keep running as two cannons sound, but I can't stop to think about who it was for until we're safe. Caitlin finally pulls me to a stop and I glance up, realizing that we're below where the cliff is at its highest. But Glacia could still look over and find us. "We need to keep going."

"Lance, stop," Caitlin calls out as I start walking once more, focusing on the ocean in front of us. I glance back, only stopping at the concern on her face as she drops our two bags to the ground. "Your shoulders." She points towards me and that's when I notice the throbbing once more. I look down, surprised to see my shirt almost fully soaked through on my shoulders. "We need to take care of them. Take off your shirt."

"I – what?" I ask in confusion as Caitlin drops to the ground, starting to rustle through the bag she originally picked up from the Cornucopia. I feel a flush spreading on my cheeks as I stare at her, confused at the request.

"You heard me," she answers, not looking up from the bag as she digs through it. When she finally pulls out the item she was searching for, she looks up and shakes her head at me, an exasperated look on her face. "How are we supposed to clean out your wounds if you keep your shirt on?"

"Oh…right," I say as I gently remove my backpack and set it down, careful to not brush against my injuries. I sit down on the ground as I remove my shirt, giving her a sideways glance as I feel my face flushing. This is stupid, I shouldn't be reacting this way when she's just trying to take care of my wounds. "I don't think any muscles or stuff was torn," I speak up, trying to fill the awkward silence as she walks over and sits behind me. "I was able to take off my shirt without too much pain."

"That's good," Caitlin says quietly and I glance over my shoulder at her, catching her with a bit of a blush on her cheeks before she presses a damp cloth against my shoulder and I swear loudly at the stinging. "Sorry!" She says as she quickly takes it away. "We need to disinfect it."

I grit my teeth at this, knowing she's right but not liking it. "Just get it over with."

She doesn't do anything for a moment before I feel the stinging once again on my shoulders, but I keep from crying out this time. She works quickly but gently, talking while she works in what's probably an attempt to distract me from the pain. "You know, you're lucky you had a backpack on. I think that mutt hit the bag's straps so only four spots are deep. The rest are barely breaking the surface."

"I suppose that was really lucky," I speak up as Caitlin stops using the disinfectant wipe. I let out a sigh of relief as she goes to the bag once again, this time grabbing a set of bandages. When she turns back, I catch her staring at my bare chest and she starts flushing when she realizes I caught her. She quickly looks away as she moves back to sitting behind me so she can start putting bandages on. I can't help the smile growing on my face at her reaction, but save her the embarrassment of mentioning it. "I never thanked you for killing that mutt."

"You don't need to thank me," Caitlin responds quietly to me and we fall silent for a minute as she works on carefully wrapping up my wounds. "I think anyone would save their ally from a mutt that was attacking them."

"Yeah…" I answer, feeling my stomach twist at how close of a call that had actually been. "But we're in the Hunger Games and we're almost at the end. Not everyone would decide to save their ally." I shake my head at this and turn back to look over at her, but she puts her hands firmly on my shoulders to get me to stay put. I chuckle a little at this as I feel her lightly press down on the bandages before taking her hands away, my shoulders feeling cold and I realize how much I enjoyed having her take care of me, even when she didn't have to. "So, doctor, what's the verdict?"

Caitlin stays quiet for a minute as she presses down on the bandages once again, keeping her hands on my shoulders even when she is clearly done, and this time I feel my face flushing. "Well Lance," she starts, joking tone in her voice that makes me start smiling, "I think you're going to live, assuming I didn't make things worse."

We both laugh for a moment at this as she moves to sit next to me, before I fall quiet at her comment. Just another reminder that I have no idea if I'm going to live through the next few days. It takes Caitlin a few seconds to realize to and she also stops laughing, and I can see from the corner of my eye that she's looking over at me, but I stay facing ahead, not wanting to think about what me living means for her. "Lance…"

"I don't want to talk about it now," I mutter to her, shaking my head as I reach over and grab my shirt, slipping it on as the last remnants of whatever good mood I had slip away as well. "We should keep moving before Glacia realizes we're right here."

Caitlin sighs loudly at this but doesn't argue, instead getting up and grabbing both of her bags. When I stand up, I look over at her and see my doubts and confusion mirrored on her face. "Later."

"Later," I agree, as much as I don't want to, and grab my bags, carefully putting them on my bandaged shoulders. Once we're ready to keep moving, I hold out my hand and stare over at her. It takes a moment before she sighs and takes my hand, giving me a small smile before we start walking towards the ocean. And as much as I don't want to think about the inevitable, that small little smile is enough to push away those thoughts, at least for a moment. Because right now, at least we get to be together with each other.

"Ah, so you decided to come back through my field."

I drop Caitlin's hand and struggle to get my sword out as we turn around to face the mutt that I stupidly forgot was in this field. It gives us a sultry grin as it sits down, crossing its front paws as it stares at us. "And you brought a friend with you this time. Well, I'm feeling nice and I'll only ask you one riddle. And sweetie, if you answer wrong, well, it's your life."

I put my sword away as I stare at it, knowing that there's even less chance of me successfully fighting it with my injured shoulders, but also knowing that if we answer correctly we'll be allowed to leave unharmed. Instead, I grab on to Caitlin's hand once more, squeezing it tightly as I just hope we'll be able to answer correctly. "Alright, what's your riddle?"

The mutt smirks as it stands up, starting to pace in front of us. Caitlin's grip on my hand tightens and I return the gesture, feeling my heart starting to race at the thought of death being right in front of us. "Alright. I stay with you all day, but leave you at night. What am I?"

I internally curse as the answer stumps me and I start desperately thinking of what it could be. But Caitlin scoffs next to me, bringing both of our attentions over to her. "Easy, you're a shadow."

"Correct," the mutt answers and I let out a sigh of relief that Caitlin was able to answer the question because I never would have guessed that. The mutt sits down once more, nodding its head at us. "You brought a feisty and smart friend. You may leave, Lance Henderson and Caitlin Desmond. But, Lance knows, if you return, you will have to answer another riddle."

I turn to leave, pulling Caitlin with me as she starts walking backwards, not quite believing that we're really being allowed to leave. I tug her hand, getting her to look at me. "We really can leave."

"Are you sure?" Caitlin cautiously asks me, coming to a stop to stare at the mutt. "I don't trust it."

This makes me chuckle a little, as I had a similar reaction the first time I encountered this mutt. "You shouldn't but you can trust me. We're going to be safe."

This makes her finally turn and start walking once more. She glances up at me, giving a small smile but staying quiet as we get closer to the water, the sound of waves crashing being the only sound. It's surprisingly peaceful, despite the fact that we're in the games of all places.

We come to a stop as we reach the edge of the cliff and find tucked in its shadow a tiny little building. I glance up, wondering how I hadn't noticed this before, and discover that the cliff actually extends over the building. When I turn my gaze back to Caitlin, she's grinning up at me. "Well Lance, I think we just found a nice little place to enjoy our Capitol feast."

* * *

I don't know what whoever was packing our feast was thinking, but they provided enough food for probably everyone in the arena. But after days of canned food, it was such a great thing to enjoy a fancy meal.

I lean back against the wall of the small building we found, stomach full and feeling happy. And why wouldn't I be happy right now? Caitlin leans against me, my arm is around her, and we have a small fire going to warm us.

But of course, that happiness doesn't last for very long.

"Lance," Caitlin speaks up after a while of silence and me wondering if she had fallen asleep. But by her tone, I can tell she's been wide awake and full of worry. "We need to talk about what's going to happen."

"I don't want to," I whisper as I pull her closer, desperately trying to pretend for just a few more seconds that we're not in the arena. Anything to pretend that we're not among the last five tributes alive.

My wish is answered, or rather, I'm able to postpone the conversation for a few seconds when the anthem starts playing. Caitlin gets up, moving into the doorway to see up at the sky to determine who the two cannons were for. She lets out a sigh at the first face, "The girl from Five." I also let out a sigh, knowing this means that Glacia and Ardos are both still alive. But it doesn't really surprise me because trained tributes should have had no problem defeating their mutts. "And the other is the boy from Eleven," Caitlin speaks up and turns back towards me as the anthem stops playing. But instead of curling up next to me again, she sits directly in front of me. She starts picking at dirt under her nails instead of looking over at me, her face deep in thought. "Lance…" she sighs before finally looking up at me, face just full of sadness that breaks my heart as I know she's been thinking the same thoughts I've been failing at avoiding. "There's only three others left in the arena-"

 _Boom._

Caitlin cringes at the sound, shaking her head at me. " _Two_. Only two others left…We know how this is going to end."

"I don't want it to end," I whisper to her, my voice shaking at the thought that the games are so close to ending. "I've barely gotten to spend any time with you. This isn't fair."

"Nothing about this is fair," Caitlin answers and as she shakes her head, a tear starts to fall down her cheek. "Only one of us can make it out of the arena. And that's if we can get rid of Glacia."

"I have the armor now," I hold up my bag to emphasize my point. The armor surely will give us the advantage we desperately need, as I tested it earlier and no weapon is piercing that. "We can beat her."

"Then what?" Caitlin asks as she stands up, shaking her head as she starts pacing the tiny room. I watch her carefully, feeling my eyes starting to sting with tears I don't want to fall. "We face Ardos or Riley?" She scoffs at this thought, turning back to face me with tears falling. "I don't know how he managed to make it this far, but unlike you, I don't think I can kill my District partner."

"We don't know who that cannon was for," I speak up, only able to keep providing points of argument instead of actually acknowledging what we're going to have to do. "Who knows, maybe it was Glacia." But the look she gives me shows me that she clearly doesn't think this, and neither do I. I just can't believe that anyone would be able to take on Glacia. Even us. "How are we going to actually beat her?"

Caitlin crouches down in front of me at this, grabbing on to both of my hands tightly. "We'll face her together. Surely even she can't take on two tributes at once. She won't beat us."

"But then…" I trail off, unable to voice what happens next when we beat Glacia and there's only us two left. Because right now, I don't know what I will do in that situation. Can I really kill Caitlin to make it home? I so badly want to get home to Maylene, but can I do that if it means killing Caitlin? But I can't just die, even if it would mean Caitlin gets to live…

 _Boom._

We both jump at the sound and our eyes widen as we stare at each other in disbelief. No…how could there have already been another cannon? Surely it's a mistake. It's too early to be nearing the end. Too early for me to have to figure out what I'm going to do.

"It's the final three," Caitlin finally whispers before leaning forward to wrap her arms around me. I grab on to her, holding her as close to me as possible and close my eyes, trying to pretend that we're anywhere other than right here. But no matter what I do, I can't stop hearing the cannon replaying in my head and knowing what that means for us. Caitlin lets out a sob and speaks against my chest, her voice getting muffled, "Riley is dead."

"You don't know that for sure," I whisper to her before sniffling, trying to fight back my own tears. Not for Riley, even though I hate the thought that there's another kid who will never make it back to his family. No, tears that probably by this time tomorrow, the games are going to be over and one, or maybe even both of us, are going to be dead. "Who knows, he might be the last person out there."

But we both know that's not true, even if we want to believe it. Because deep down, I knew from the start that it would come down to this. There's only one person that it can be that we're going to face.

"Glacia killed him," Caitlin mumble into my chest, shaking her head as I start to feel my shirt growing wet from her tears. "She killed him and then she probably turned on Ardos because she's a terrible person. How could anyone volunteer or want to volunteer to kill people?"

I don't respond to this, because I just don't know how to. Despite wanting to think Glacia is evil, my mind just can't accept that. I saw too many little moments of her just being human during our time together in the Capitol. And at the end of the day, she's doing the same thing we're trying to do: make it home alive to her family.

"I don't know," I finally respond to her because I simply don't know every reason Glacia had for wanting to volunteer this year, or why anyone would volunteer. Well…I know why one person volunteered and I'm never going to be able to repay that debt to Maylene. Maybe I can if I actually win…

"They're all terrible people," Caitlin whispers, having no clue where my thoughts have gone. "All of them. Every single person that has volunteered to kill in the games."

I tense up at this, yet Caitlin seems unaware. But what she said just isn't true. Roxanne isn't a terrible person. She stepped up to mentor me when most of the other victors didn't want to. Even when the others thought Glacia was the likely winner for District Two, Roxanne didn't give up hope and was rooting for me. And Brycen wasn't a terrible person…I close my eyes as pain courses through me at the thought of my friend that I lost to the games last year. He wasn't terrible. Just a boy who had too much pressure put on him by his family to train and win. And Maylene…

Sweet, protective Maylene who trained and volunteered so that she could escape from our shitty father. Maylene, who did all of that to help save me from our father. Maylene, who is probably watching right now, screaming at me to get it together and win already.

I open my eyes, staring down at Caitlin curled up against me, and just wonder what the hell I'm doing. I can't give up my life so easily for someone I just met. I have so much waiting for me at home and I can't abandon Maylene. Maylene, who has always been there to protect me.

I can't lose. Not when I've made it so far and I'm so close to making it out of the arena. But even with the determination to make it home to Maylene, I know that I can't kill Caitlin…

I stare down at the girl in my arms, who really is a stranger to me, wondering how I managed to care for someone so much when I knew exactly what I was getting into. I let out a loud sigh and Caitlin picks her head up to stare up at me with tear-stained eyes. "What?"

I shake my head at her, knowing I can't tell her that I've accepted the fact that I can't die in this arena. That I doubt I can kill her. That I'm hoping – and feel like a terrible person for this – that if Caitlin has to die, Glacia is the one to do it and I won't have Caitlin's blood on my hands if I win. "I just can't believe that it's the final three already."

 _Too soon._ We're at the final three way too soon. It's only the end of day five. I don't even recall ever seeing a games that lasted under a week. And yet, here we are. Somehow, Caitlin and I have both made it to the end. But that's only going to make tomorrow hurt even more.

Because I have no doubt that the games are going to end tomorrow. I just have to make sure that the victor is me…

* * *

 **Well, here we are, one chapter left before the end of the games. So yeah, maybe I'm making the games short but sue me, I want to make them short. But yeah, a lot happened in this chapter, so what did you think?**

 **And since the next chapter will be the end of the games, who do you think will be the victor? I'm curious to see who people guess.**

 **I should be able to get the next chapters out quickly, or at least a lot faster than this one was. Mostly because I'm really hyped to write out this final fight. In the meantime, go check out Overlooked and Wayward as I update those a lot more frequently!**

 **Alrighty, see you next time as we wrap up the games!**


	17. The Finale

**Chapter 17:**

Morning arrives way too fast, forcing us to start moving. A sense of dread fills me as Caitlin packs up our stuff and I start putting on the armor I received from the feast. It's hard to believe that already things are going to end. It feels like we've been in the arena forever but at the same time, we've barely had enough time together.

A tense silence fills the air as Caitlin finishes going through the things we'll leave behind and sits down, watching me lace up the jacket they gave me. I focus on the laces, finding my fingers fumbling with it as I try not to think about how in a matter of hours, this is all going to be over, and I have no clue if I'll be the one alive at the end. And I can't bring myself to look over at Caitlin when I know she has to die if I want to live. And I truly want to live…even if the thought of living without Caitlin hurts so badly.

My fingers slip and I let out a curse that I can't even get this stupid armor on. I hear Caitlin's footsteps approaching and she gently brushes my hands aside and quickly finishes the laces. When she's done, I finally have to look over at her and acknowledge the fact that by the end of the day, at least one of us is going to be dead and it hurts so fucking bad. "I don't want to die," I whisper to her.

"I don't either," Caitlin responds, turning her gaze away from me, but not before I see the tears starting to form in her eyes. She tries to wipe them away before turning back to stare up at me. "Lance…whatever happens today…I'm glad I met you."

My stomach twists in guilt at her words, my thoughts imagining a future of living with the pain of knowing that if I live, I'll have lost her. At least…I tell myself that's the reason for my guilt and not the pressing thoughts that she must die for me to become victor and make it home to Maylene. She's staring up at me expectantly, eyes still glossy, and all I can do is nod my head because I don't trust my voice right now. I clear my throat as I look over to the door, mind starting to imagine a scenario where Glacia is waiting to ambush us, before just whispering quickly, "So am I."

I let out a shaky sigh as I keep staring at the door, wishing so badly that I can just push this off. Because as much as I know it's going to hurt to lose Caitlin today…that doesn't compare to the immense fear that I'll die today. Even with this armor, Glacia could still kill me. I close my eyes as I feel my body start to shake and my breathing quicken. I jump when Caitlin slides her hand into mine and open my eyes to see her giving me her best attempt at a comforting smile. "I'm scared too. But we'll take her on together."

"Together," I answer with a nod of my head before taking one last look around at the cabin. A neat pile of things we don't need sit on the table, just another reminder that we won't be coming back here. Hell, both of us might not even be going back home. But before I can get frozen in fear once more, Caitlin gives my hand a squeeze and I take in a deep breath before stepping towards the door and possible death. "Time for us to end things."

I push open the door and squint against the sunlight, waiting a moment before stepping out and staring at the ocean in front of us. For a moment, I forget about where we are, staring at the crystal blue that I would never be able to see in District Two, and just imagining that I'm somewhere far away from this arena, somewhere where Caitlin and I can be together.

But all too soon, the beauty is ruined as the sea starts to churn in front of us, bringing waves crashing to the beach and water nearly lapping at our feet. I pull out my sword, nearly dropping it as my hands start to sweat as the first serpent head appears out of the water, quickly followed by another four. Caitlin starts to run away from the cabin, dragging me with her and making me stumble over my feet as I try to fight against the paralyzing fear running through me at the sight of that mutt appearing out of the ocean. When it lets out a roar closer to a screech, my legs start functioning again and I start being the one dragging Caitlin along as I desperately try to get away from it.

As we reach the edge of the tall grass, I stupidly glance back and immediately regret the decision. The mutt is reaching the beach and the sea no longer hides the immense size of the creature staring down, eyes hungry for us. "Go, go, go," I yell at Caitlin as we enter the grass, trying to ignore the sounds of the mutt's footsteps chasing after us.

Why must Lisia start the finale like this? Surely this creature is here to speed things along. But I'm not ready for this to end. Not when the only way it will end is with loss.

We quickly reach the edge of the grass and hesitate for a moment before continuing to run across the open plain. Ahead of us, there's at least no Glacia in sight, and I know Caitlin realizes this because we both pick up our pace.

 _Whoosh!_

I barely have time to pull Caitlin to the side to avoid the large fireball that has struck the ground in front of us, but even then, I can feel the heat of the flames. I turn back to look at the mutt, seeing flames in one of its mouths. "What the hell was that?" Caitlin shouts at me as we keep moving.

I don't know how to respond to her, other than to keep running, even as my legs start to burn and my lungs struggle for air. _Keep moving, Lance. You are not dying because of a mutt._

I might not, but I didn't say the same for Caitlin.

She tugs sharply on my arm, nearly pulling me down with her as she lets out a sharp scream. She grasps at her leg as it starts to smoke and sizzle, and all I can do is stand there and watch as whatever that mutt spit at her starts to eat away at her flesh.

I glance over at the mutt, knowing it's getting closer and I should run now. Run while I can get away. If I run now, there will only be two people left. But I look back down at Caitlin and see the pain and hope in her eyes, hope that I won't leave her here to be killed by the mutt, and make a stupid decision.

"I'm not leaving you," I mutter as I reach down, pulling her up and holding on to her tightly before starting to run once more. Caitlin puts her weight on me, gasping in pain as she grips my arm tightly to keep from being left behind. As we get closer to the river, the water starts to churn and I nearly laugh out of relief when I see a bridge rising out of the water, knowing in my gut that if we can get across it, we'll be safe from this mutt.

We reach the bridge and when I place a foot down on it, the mutt lets out another terrible roar and I slow down to look back at it, just long enough to realize that it is stopped and is letting us pass.

I let out a small sigh of relief as we keep running, this time towards the large house that we've seen the whole time we've been in the arena, yet haven't been able to reach. I can still feel my heart racing in fear of that creature. If this is what they used to get us here, what kind of terrible mutt will they use for Glacia?

Caitlin lets out another scream and falls to the ground, and for a moment, I assume the mutt has decided to follow us after all. But when I look down at her, my heart clenches in pain at the sight of her clutching a knife buried deep in her stomach, blood seeping through her fingers. I drop to my knees, desperate to stop this from happening. I press a hand against the wound, trying to do anything to stop the bleeding, but know it's useless with the amount of blood pouring through my fingers. I grab on to her hand, clutching it tightly to my chest as I lean over her, trying to get her to look at me as her eyes stare up at the sky, seemingly unable to focus on anything. "No, Caitlin, no!" Her chest starts raggedly moving as she turns her eyes towards me and a few tears fall down as she tries to give me a smile. "Come on, you can't die. Not yet!"

Caitlin barely shakes her head at me and opens her mouth, trying to say something to me, but only a small gasp of pain slips out. I hold back a sob as tears keep falling, even as I start wishing I wasn't feeling this pain. Wishing I could go through these games without feeling pain at someone dying. But not wishing I hadn't met Caitlin.

A sharp noise snaps my attention away from Caitlin and towards the house and I quickly wipe away tears from my face as I stare over at Glacia as she leaves the house, spear out and face full of determination. I quickly pick up the sword I dropped next to Caitlin, can't believing I could have let myself get so distracted to forget that the biggest threat of the arena was nearby. "Hello Lance."

I uneasily adjust my grip on the sword, awkwardly holding it out in front of me. I take a shaky breath before I start walking towards her, trying to pretend to be brave in the hopes that I can actually be brave. Because right now, I'm absolutely terrified. But I can't let her know that. "I should have known it would end like this," I call out to her as the distance between us slowly closes, all too quickly bringing about the end of the games. Her eyes drift over me and I see a brief glimpse of surprise before her face turns stone cold once more, the only sign that she noticed the armor. I keep talking to her, hoping that maybe I can distract her and give myself a small chance of beating her. "From the start, they never stopped talking about us. The two victor relatives from District Two."

Glacia adjusts her grip on her spear as the distance between us shortens to thirty feet. "It's certainly an exciting way to end the Quarter Quell," she calls out to me and I can see her body tense, only making my heart start racing even more, something I didn't think was possible. "The two victor relatives from District Two. Well, our District is going to have a victor this year."

Her words are a bitter reminder and I glance back at Caitlin, feeling my heart twist at the sight of her ragged breathing as she clutches the knife still in her stomach. She didn't deserve to die. Not like this. As I turn back to Glacia, I start to feel anger building in me, anger that Glacia took the easy way out of killing Caitlin from a distance when we were unaware. But, it's anger laced with sadness at the loss of Caitlin. _There's nothing you can do for her now, Lance, except for win._ "That victor is going to be me."

Glacia lets out a laugh at this, only making me grow uneasy at her confidence. "No, Lance, it's going to be me. I'm the one who has trained for years for this." As she takes a deep breath, her words are just another reminder of just how unprepared I am for this, especially compared to her. "I was the one chosen by the victors to volunteer before the Quell twist was announced. The title of victor has always been mine to claim, not yours."

Before I can even try to protect myself, Glacia lunges towards me, her spear heading straight towards my stomach. I try to deflect her spear with my sword but move too slowly, and I start to brace myself for the sharp pain. But it never happens, instead just the feeling of being punched as her spear can't pierce my armor. We both freeze at this and I stare over her, and when I realize that maybe, just maybe, I might have a chance against her, I find myself starting to grin, especially when a scowl forms on her face. "Are you sure about that?"

Emboldened by this new knowledge, I strike out towards her leg, hoping to get a hit and weaken her. Glacia easily blocks my sword before moving out of my reach, starting to circle around as she watches me carefully. I do the same, watching her face and seeing her trying to think of ways to win. She keeps trying to hit me, seemingly unhindered at all by her spear, but unable to get through my armor. My swings are sloppy compared to her, as I just try to get any sort of hit. Yet she just keeps easily blocking my every move.

I can feel myself arm already growing tired, but Glacia doesn't seem to show any signs of this fight being extraneous for her. Finally, I make a small cut on her arm and she cries out at the pain and glances down at it, before returning her gaze to me with a harsh look that almost makes me regret injuring her. With an angry cry, she starts swinging her spear with an amazing speed, and I might as well not be making any attempt to block her with how easily she avoids my sword. A bit of fear runs through me as I know that the only reason I'm alive right now is because of this armor. But in my distraction, she catches me off guard and her spear slices my cheek, making me stumble back at the pain. I press a hand against my cheek, feeling the cut and when I pull my hand back, I stare at the fresh blood, but feel anger start to form at the dried blood that remains from Caitlin.

Glacia is smirking as I give an angry swing of my sword towards her that she easily dodges by stepping aside, before letting out a cry as she strikes at my chest, even though it won't do anything. As I keep swinging at her without making any other injuries, I don't know if she's just taunting me at this point or if she doesn't know how to get past my armor. I try a wide swing of my arm, but she still blocks me easily, only making my frustration start to grow. How am I supposed to beat her if she's not even breaking a sweat right now?

The worst part is that despite the adrenaline rushing through me, I can feel my arm growing tired and my movements getting even sloppier compared to Glacia's cool and relaxed swings that don't do anything. Who knows how long we keep at this, but with each swing, I know I must do something to end this.

With my frustration building even more, I bring my sword back for a large swing, hoping that maybe she won't be able to block this. As I start to bring my sword forward, my eyes widen as I watch her duck down and lunge forward, rolling on the ground as she brings her spear up, only able to watch her as I can't do anything but let my sword's momentum keep moving forward. Glacia cries out as she thrusts her spear forward and I gasp at the large burst of pain in my stomach, shocking me from her succeeding in injuring me.

But Glacia messed up and her attack left her open to my sword. As my eyes blur at the intense burning in my stomach, I feel the sword strike her and she lets out a loud scream. She grasps at her side as I grab on to the spear still buried deep in my stomach and pull it out, needing to get rid of the continuous pain its causing. But this only intensifies the pain and I find myself falling to my knees from the pain as Glacia drops to the ground, both of us staring at each other and trying to stop the bleeding from our wounds. What dumb luck that we finally managed to injure each other, yet it's at the same time.

 _Boom._

Yes, Glacia is dead. Wait…no, she's still staring at me. My head feels heavy with the pain in my stomach as I stare at my District partner, processing the cannon. Wait… _no._ Caitlin can't be dead. But…did I really want her to win over me? Do I even have a choice right now but to simple not bleed out before Glacia?

Suddenly, the ground starts to move closer before I hit the ground, struggling to keep my eyes open. Before long, Glacia follows after me, groaning in pain. Or is that me groaning? Who knows at this point. All I know is that I want this pain to stop. I try to take a deep breath to focus on anything other than the pain, but my lungs burn and I find myself gasping for air.

"No," Glacia mumbles in front of me as I close my eyes, gritting my teeth against the pain. Did I close my eyes? I blink a few times, eyelids heavy as the sun dims.

 _Boom._

Yes, I did it. I outlasted Glacia. Me. I beat the biggest competitor! Darkness takes over, despite my efforts to fight it, and a whisper fills my head, taunting me in the voice of Caitlin. _Unless that cannon was yours._

"Ladies and gentlemen, your victor of the 125th Hunger Games…"

* * *

 _Lisia Arune, Head Gamemaker_

"Get the medical team down there, now!" Lisia shouts out as soon as the last cannon fires, stopping some of her Gamemakers from cheering in excitement at the victor. Yes, many of them had made bets amongst themselves about who would win. Lisia hadn't participated, not wanting to show outright favoritism, but she had her choice. And she was right.

As the announcement is made about the victor for the Quarter Quell – her Quarter Quell, as she will surely go down in history for this event – Lisia anxiously watches the hovercraft appear above her victor, a doctor dropping to the ground and starting to give the victor blood right away. Their tracker still shows their erratic heartbeat and that's enough for Lisia. It's enough to know that her victor is alive and the doctors will be able to save them.

Soon enough, the victor is on the hovercraft and immediately taken into surgery to repair the deep wound made in that final fight. Lisia still watches them, making sure her victor will survive. The doctors make quick actions, caring more about survival than appearance. They can worry about that later.

Once the victor starts to stabilize, Lisia finally relaxes in her seat and slowly starts to grin. She did it. She created and saw through the Quarter Quell.

"Well done, Miss Arune," a voice teases from her left and Lisia glances over, grinning at the sight of her long term friend and most trusted coworker. Fabio brushes back his long curly hair dyed a brilliant gold as a demonstration of his favorite District in the Quell. "Everyone will be talking about this for years."

Lisia closes her eyes at this, smile still on her face as she finally feels like she can relax. "I did it." When she opens her eyes, Fabio is staring intently at her and he starts to grin as well. "I think I need a drink." Fabio laughs at this as Lisia stands up, stretching out her tense muscles from anxiously waiting to see who would be victorious. "Now excuse me, I'm going to go to the hospital so that I can overlook the surgery."

"Of course," Fabio responds, still grinning at the end of the games. "You really did a great job with these games. Congratulations."

* * *

 **We have officially made it to the end of the games! I know, I know, that was mean of me to not reveal in these chapters who ended up winning. But I needed to give a cliffhanger! The victor will be revealed in the next chapter for each story, with a look at the two victor relatives. So, pick which story you read first carefully because you will be spoiled.**

 **So, how was this chapter? To be honest, it was hard for me to write this and I put it off for a while, simply because I really love both Lance and Glacia, and I wasn't ready to say goodbye to one of them yet. Who do you think is the victor?**

 **Next chapter should be up fairly soon because I love writing my victors. Thanks for reading this story and I'm excited and sad to see that we're nearly at the end of them!**


	18. The Victor

**Chapter 18:**

 _Maylene Henderson, Victor of the 120_ _th_ _Hunger Games_

Maylene's hands are still clenched tightly into fists, her nails starting to dig into her palms. The victor has been announced and yet, she can't take her eyes away from the screen in front of her. Can't take her eyes away even as her eyes start to gloss over. Her stomach starts to twist and she thinks someone might be talking to her, but she can't hear anything. All she can hear is the repeated cannon and the announcement from Elliot of the victor, taunting her over and over again in her head.

 _Boom. "Ladies and gentlemen, your victor of the 125_ _th_ _Hunger Games, Glacia Skylar!"_

At the sound of the cannon, she had held her breath, not knowing which one was the victor, but feeling confident that it would be Lance. How could he not be when the cut he gave Glacia was so severe? But Elliot called out a different name. A name that was not the one she wanted to hear be called out. That cannon should have not belonged to the person it did. She shouldn't be watching the female tribute be picked up by doctors, desperate to save her life.

"Maylene!"

Maylene blinks her eyes, feeling tears fall down her cheeks as her vision focuses on the man in front of her. A mentor and friend. Lysander looks as if that wasn't the first time he called her name. "This isn't happening," she mutters and starts to shake her head at him. She brings her hand up to her head, seeing the world start to spin as she takes ragged and shallow breaths. "No, this can't be happening. She can't be the victor!" Maylene starts to feel like she's falling but someone grabs on to her shoulders, holding her tightly as she starts sobbing, panic bubbling up to the surface as she focuses on the screen once more, at the picture of District Two's newest victor. "They're showing the wrong face. Why are they showing Glacia? It should be Lance."

"Maylene," a gentle voice tries to speak to her, but hearing Viola talking just makes Maylene start sobbing even more.

"No! This can't be happening."

"Maylene!" A sharp voice yells at her again but she can barely focus on Lysander, only feeling the building of nerves in her stomach, making her feel as if she might throw up, while her world still seems to be spinning. "They didn't show the wrong face." Maylene looks up at him, struggling to focus on the face of the man who brought her home five years ago.

"I should have gone as his mentor," Maylene mutters as she shakes her head at him before staring around the room, unable to focus on anything. "We could have been celebrating his victory together in the Capitol."

"Maylene."

This time, the person calling her name doesn't try to hide the sharpness to her voice. Maylene looks over at the door, finding Kat standing in the doorway next to a silently crying Viola. But there are no tears from Kat's face. "I'm sorry."

It's those two little words that finally make Maylene crack and she finds herself collapsing on the ground, body shaking with sobs that hurt as they escape, yet there's nothing she can do to stop them. She failed. She failed Lance. All those years of training and then competing in the games, just to protect him from their drunk father. She put her life on the line, just to keep him safe. But she couldn't even protect him when he needed her the most. "I failed him."

Over her sobs, she hears someone sit down next to her and put an arm around her shoulders. She leans into them right away, sobbing against their shoulder and making their shirt grow damp from her tears. "You did not fail him," Kat starts, surprising Maylene as she had assumed it was Viola next to her, not the strict and intimidating victor. Maylene shakes her head at this, getting a scoff from Kat. "Maylene, believe me when I say you did not fail him. You won your games and got him away from your asshole father. He was safe for five years because of your hard work."

"But he's dead now," Maylene mutters as she picks her head up from her shoulder, hopelessly wiping away at tears just for them to be quickly replaced. "I should have gone and mentored for him."

"And then let him down by never having experience at mentoring?" Kat shakes her head at Maylene. "That would have been a terrible idea. I know Roxanne is an unconventional victor, but believe me, she was one of the best options for Lance."

"That still doesn't change the fact that he's dead," Maylene whispers before a sob rips through her and brings fresh tears streaming down her cheeks. "I didn't do anything to try and help him."

Kat lets out a sigh and stays quiet for a minute, letting Maylene sob as she rubs her shoulder comfortingly. "Stop blaming yourself for this. You didn't decide the Quell twist would be forbidding volunteers. You know we never would have let Lance go into the games if we had the choice. You know, if you're looking to blame someone, you can blame Flannery. She's the one who picked his name."

This makes Maylene let out a short laugh through her tears and shake her head at Kat. "It wasn't her fault. She was just doing her job."

"Exactly, so stop blaming yourself for something that wasn't your fault."

Maylene lets out a sigh at this, knowing that Kat is right…but she still feels like there should have been more that she should could have done for Lance. More to make sure that he was the victor and not Glacia. She wishes she could hate Glacia for what she did – oh, there is definitely some anger towards her for taking her brother's life. But…Maylene went through the games. She knows just as well as any of the other victors with her that you have to kill or it's your own life. Glacia just did what she had trained for years to do.

"I never wanted to see two relatives of victors in the games at once," Kat speaks up after a few minutes of just Maylene sobbing. "Even with seeing how well Glacia was doing with her training, I still hesitated for a while to select her as the volunteer before this stupid quell twist was announced."

Maylene stares over at Kat, surprised by her admitting this. She always thought everyone selected Glacia, no questions asked. "Why?"

"Why did I hesitate?" Kat asks and Maylene nods her head. Kat lets out a sigh and stares over at the screen, watching as statistics for the games are shown for a minute before turning her gaze back to Maylene. "Because I knew how much it would hurt to see a victor lose someone they love. I believed Glacia could win, but you know just as well as I do that there are no guarantees in the games."

"I'm glad Sylvia isn't going through this," Maylene mutters, feeling a new burst of tears starting when she sees the statistics for Lance. Seeing the _'2_ _nd_ _Place'_ next to his picture is just one more reminder that he's gone. He's gone and there's nothing Maylene can do to change that.

"So am I," Kat says quietly, also watching the screen as Claudia moves on to discussing Caitlin. The girl who made such a difference in Lance's life. Maylene doesn't know how that happened, but seeing her face brings a smile to her face at the memories of seeing how happy Lance was with her. "Granted, I hate seeing you like this. But…we all knew the reality of the games. Only one tribute could make it out alive." Kat lets out a sigh and shakes her head as the statistics change to Caitlin's District partner. "But, I'm just a little relieved that both of you didn't lose a loved one."

Maylene nods her head at this, even though she still wishes Lance was the one to win. "Me too…" And she does mean it. She wouldn't wish this pain on anyone, not even Glacia's grandmother. Granted, she does personally know Sylvia and views her almost as a grandmother herself…but no, she wouldn't want Sylvia going through this.

Someone clears they're throat and Maylene looks around, surprised to see Lysander still standing in the room. But from his spot in the doorway, it looks as if he had left at some point. He quietly walks over, standing in front of them for a moment before finally sitting down on the floor in front of them. He doesn't say anything for a minute, only reaching forward to hold on to Maylene's hand. That small action is comforting to her, just having her mentor here. "Maylene…" he lets out a sigh and shakes his head at her before continuing, "We're going to be here for you. All of us. If you need me, I'll even stay over here with you."

The idea of Lysander – quiet, hulking Lysander – having a slumber party with her is just so ridiculous that Maylene starts laughing loudly, despite tears still flowing down her face. Lysander cracks a grin at this, "Maybe I'll even let you do my hair while we tell stories about cute girls."

This makes Maylene lose it and the tears flowing down her face start to be from laughing so hard. Her side starts to hurt but it feels so nice to be laughing at something after days of agonizing worry. But of course, it has to be ruined by Kat's phone ringing. When she sees who is calling, she immediately starts frowning at the phone before looking up at Maylene. "It's Roxanne…"

Maylene holds out her hand for the phone and Kat hesitates for a moment before handing it over. She hesitantly answers the phone, not knowing what to expect from the victor on the other end. "Hello?"

There's silence before a sniffle. "Maylene…?" Roxanne asks, voice full of confusion and sadness.

"Yeah, it's me," she answers quietly, staring down at the ground as her eyes start to get blurry from tears again. Fresh pain courses through her at Roxanne's sniffles, just another reminder that she lost the one person she cares about.

"I'm so sorry," Roxanne gets out before being taken over by sobs. "I-I- tried. I tried so hard to get him home. It's all my fault and I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," Maylene answers her, feeling guilty that Roxanne thinks Maylene is blaming her for this. She doesn't know who to blame at this point, except for herself.

"Yes it is," Roxanne gets out through another sob before blowing her noise loudly. "I told him to go with Caitlin. If I didn't, Glacia never would have targeted him and he might be alive right now!"

"Stop it, she was targeting him from the moment his name was drawn," Maylene shakes her head, thinking back to all the times she saw the two interacting in the Capitol before the games. There's was always an underlying tension between them, no matter how they tried to pretend they were happy allies. No, Glacia knew how to play the games and recognize a threat. And somehow, Lance was her biggest threat.

"I could have done more for him," Roxanne continues, voice desperate and making Maylene's tears even worse.

"Give me the phone," Kat says sharply and Maylene obeys immediately, missing Roxanne's continued rambling as she tries to apologize for everything that she thinks she did wrong for Lance. "Roxanne! Stop sobbing right now." She pauses as Roxanne says something, starting to stand up to leave the room. "No, you listen to me," she starts as she leaves the room, and Maylene and Lysander both flinch at the tone of her voice, bringing them both back to when they were young, hopeful trainees under her sharp gaze. "You did not cause that outcome."

Whatever Kat says next is muffled and Maylene turns her gaze towards Lysander, now starting to feel guilt that Roxanne is taking this as harshly as she is. But Lysander lets out a sigh and shakes his head, staring after Kat. "I've been a victor for ten years now, yet Kat still scares me. I wouldn't want to be on the other end of that phone right now."

"Neither would I," Maylene answers quietly, knowing that her pain would have been even worse right now if she had just spent the last few weeks in the Capitol with Lance, then worked to gain him sponsors and gotten her hopes up. Part of her is a little surprised that Roxanne is taking his death so harshly. Sure, the other victor knew him from living in the same place. They all did. But…part of her hopes that this means that Roxanne truly cared for Lance and wanted to get him home. And it's a bit of comfort to know that he had someone there doing their very best for him.

"Are you going to be okay?" Lysander asks, bringing her out of her thoughts. She looks up at him through blurry eyes, shaking her head at him and giving him a sad smile. "Probably a dumb question. Of course you won't be. At least not for a while. But, eventually you'll be okay. It's still going to hurt, but, I'll be there through it. And if you do still want to talk about cute girls, my sister has a cute friend your age."

Somehow, yet again, Lysander has managed to get her to laugh again through her tears, something leftover from years of training together every day. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Just being my friend," Maylene answers, getting a sad smile from him in return. He looks over towards the door and raises an eyebrow in surprise at the person standing there, making Maylene turn to look over. When she does, she has to blink a few times to eliminate the tears blurry her vision, because she swears at first she sees Glacia standing there and nearly loses her mind. "Sylvia."

The oldest victor in Two gives her a sad smile, the only emotion showing on her face before she turns her attention to Lysander. "Do you mind?"

Lysander and Maylene share a look, her former mentor waiting until she gives a nod of her head before standing up. Even though his protectiveness is a little unnecessary with the oldest victor, Maylene still appreciates him caring so much that he is willing to disrespect Sylvia by ignoring what she asked. "Of course I don't," he answers as he quickly stands up and quietly leaves the room.

Maylene stands up as he leaves, trying to wipe away tears and snot on her sleeve as Sylvia starts to walk over to her. For a brief moment, she just wants to be mad at her, to scream and tell her that it's all her fault that Lance is dead and she lost her only brother. All her fault that Glacia is the victor instead of Lance. All her fault that when Maylene closes her eyes, all she can see is the sight of Lance laying on the ground in a pool of his own blood, chest barely moving as he struggles to stay alive.

Sylvia comes to a stop in front of Maylene, looking so small next to Maylene, so weak. Maylene could punch her and she wouldn't be able to do anything to stop her. "Let it all out."

Maylene opens her mouth to start yelling at Sylvia, but a sob escapes and suddenly the older victor is pulling her into a hug. Maylene desperately holds on to her, unable to stop the pain of losing Lance. The one person she cared about and would do anything for. "Shh," Sylvia says quietly to her as she rubs her back in a motherly way, only making Maylene cry even harder because it's been so many years since she had someone care for her like this. "Let it all out."

Who knows how long they stand there, Sylvia letting Maylene cry as she holds her tight. "Why?" Maylene finally gets out, muffled by her face being pressed against the woman's shoulder, needing to know why Sylvia is doing this.

Sylvia takes a moment to respond as Maylene's sobs start to subside a little. "Because I've known loss," she sighs at this and Maylene picks up her head from the older victor's shoulder, confused about what she means. Sylvia leads her over to the couch before continuing, wrapping a blanket around her shoulders gently. When she sits next to Maylene, the younger victor moves closer so she can lean against her, desperately wanting to feel that comfort and almost motherly attention from Sylvia. "I lived through the Second Rebellion," she starts again, and Maylene frowns at this, can't believing that she somehow forgot about that. "I lost family members and friends. I feared every day for my two sisters, feared that something would happen to them. So I understand the pain you are going through."

All Maylene can do is shake her head at this, sniffling once more. She tries to wipe away tears on the blanket, tears she doesn't know when will end. She can feel herself starting to go numb, past the intense pain and disbelief. She still can't accept that Lance is really gone…but the pain is still terrible. "It's absolutely terrible…I keep blaming myself and questioning what I could have done differently."

Sylvia is quiet for a moment, the only sounds in the room Maylene's sniffles and Claudia still going on with some analysis, now about the mutts involved in the games. "I know," she finally says, voice heavy with her own sadness. "But…as impossible as it seems right now, somehow you learn to live with the pain. It doesn't seem like it now, but someday you'll reach that point."

Maylene doesn't quite believe this. How can she ever get to the point where she can live with this agonizing pain and guilt? How can she ever get used to living in a world without Lance? "I don't think that's possible," Maylene mutters and shakes her head, wiping away at yet another tear before looking over at Sylvia. But the older woman looks so genuine, even though the sight of her is a bitter reminder that Lance wasn't the victor since Glacia shares so many features with Sylvia. "Is it possible?" Maylene gets just a small nod from her at this before Sylvia reaches out and takes her hand, holding it tightly on her lap. And from that small little gesture, Maylene feels the tiniest bit of desperate hope that she won't constantly feel this knot of guilt and blame herself. And there's also a little bit of hope that despite everything that happened, Sylvia wants to help her. Would any of the other victors offer to help if they were in her shoes? Would Maylene have even helped or would she have just held Lance tight when he got home, never letting him go again? Maylene shakes her head at Sylvia, knowing she wouldn't have been this kind in return. She doesn't deserve this kindness from someone she doesn't really know. "Sylvia…the other victors could learn something from you about looking out for each other. I still don't understand why you're doing this, but will you help me?"

Sylvia laughs lightly at this, making a tiny smile form on Maylene's face in return. The older victor puts her other hand over Maylene's hand that she already holds, giving a slight bit of comfort from knowing that someone is there for her. "Absolutely."

* * *

 **I just want to start by saying thank you for reading this story. And I'm sure some of you might be disappointed to see Lance not win, and trust me, I'm sad to see him go too. But this was always my plan for Lance. But he will always hold a special place in my heart. He was the first of the two I created for this story years ago when I initially wrote this story with a completely different outcome.** **It's weird and a little sad to say that Lance's story is now over. Well, writing his story might be over but he still has quite a role to play with Glacia and her new life as a victor.**

 **I really hope you enjoyed reading this story because I loved writing it, even if it took a long time for me to finish writing. I hope you'll continue reading Glacia's story to see the final chapters of the Fifth Quarter Quell. And if you want more of my stories and to learn more about the world I've built (or maybe just some more of the District Two victors), feel free to check out my other stories.**

 **Once again, thank you so much for reading this story. I hope you enjoyed the ride!**

 **Lauren**


End file.
